Stop the Wedding
by TiburonWriter
Summary: Sebastian shows up the day before the Klaine wedding. Loosely based on "High Society" (AmazonDOTcom/High-Society-Bill-Thompson/dp/B00008 AOWO). Canon to 5x02, if you agree Seb looked fake at the proposal. Also incl. the Warblers, Harmony, Blaine's Dad/Mom (Chris Noth, Catherine Zeta Jones), Uncle Willy (Robert Downey Jr.), the old & New Directions, the Hummels. T for language..
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Helpful but not essential to read before hand, is what I have accepted as my headcanon for post-proposal (blainedarling DOT COM /post/62709805402/) and post-Finn's death Seblaine (my fic also here on fanfictionDOTnet ).

Please review, I'm truly interested any thoughts you have. Be kind about it though, as this is my first multi-chapter fanfiction. Now that I am writing the last chapter, I look back on it and realize it has a bit of a slow build with a fair amount of fluff on the front end. So bear with me and/or skim and skip to the meatiest parts, I promise it gets better (chapters 3 and 5 are must-reads)! Huge thanks to Thomas, Dori, Tereza and Rosalie for beta reading!

* * *

Chapter 1

Jeff's nose was pushed up against the glass. "Do you think Sebastian's house is as big as all of these? I knew he had money, but this is ridiculous. "

"Yeah, I saw a picture of it on his Facebook once...it's enormous," Nick answered.

David added, "On top of all this, Blaine's family is old money. So we're going to see some aristocratic types, too."

Wes peered out his window, which was difficult in a limousine full of Warbler alumni. "There are some well-heeled folks in college with me in the Ivy League, but this takes the cake. Who knew my laid back summer plans would end up including a wedding amongst high society?"

He gave a Warbler cry and Meatbox kicked in a beat. Wes started singing and the other Warblers fell into harmony_ (adapted from youtubeDOTcom/__watch?v=ELKNyDdNCbY__):_

_[Wes]  
__"Just dig that scenery down the lane,  
__We're almost there to see Kurt and Blaine,  
__Away at college - years –one-two- three!  
__But, Cholly Knickerbocker, now I'm going to be_

_[All]  
__In High, High Soc  
__High So-ci-,  
__High So-ci-ety._

_[Wes]  
__The Warblers dance and sing to the beat,  
__Sebastian's the only one I've yet to meet.  
__They say he's changed his ways and that's good news,  
__But sumpin' kinda tells me that boy is nursin' the blues_

_[All]  
__In High, High So-,  
__High So-ci-,  
__High So-ci-ety._

_[Wes]  
__High Society!_

_[All]  
__In High, High So-,  
__High So-ci-,  
__High So-ci-ety_

_[Nick]  
__He's got the blues 'cause his former crush,  
__Proposed to Kurt now in quite a rush,  
__Four show choirs, we all stood right there,  
__And now the silly boy is gonna marry a square,_

_[All]  
__In High, High So-,  
__High So-ci-,  
__High So-ci-ety._

_[Wes]  
__Square o tail oway_

_[All]  
__In High So-,  
__High So-ci-,  
__High So-ci-ety._

_[Nick]  
__But, Brother Seb, just trust your bro,  
__To stop that wedding, Klaine'll be no mo'.  
__I'll sing a high note to start the fun,  
__And sing in such a way that he'll come back to you, son._

_[All]  
__In High, High So-  
__High So-ci-,  
__In…High… [Wes scats]  
__So-ci…[Wes scats]  
__ety._

_[Wes]  
__Can you dig the Warblers swinging in the beautiful High Society?_

The group collapsed in laughter, though Nick and Wes knew that they were not alone in wishing there was a way to stop Blaine from tying the knot so young. As the limo pulled up on the driveway of a vast estate, Wes said with a laugh, "End of song, beginning of story."

Jeff breathed, "This castle makes Dalton look like a shack."

Wes rang the chiming doorbell.

A Windsor-knotted butler opened the door. "Are you some of Mr. Sebastian's musician friends?"

Wes answered elegantly, "That is correct, sir."

Nick teased in an undertone, "You really missed your calling, Wes. You'd make a great manservant."

The butler inquired, "What name shall I say?"

Jeff called out, "Tell him Harry Styles is here."

"Very well. Please follow me, Mr. Styles."

"Wipe your feet boys, "Nick chuckled, "Something tells me we have a long walk ahead of us."

Sebastian sauntered down a huge staircase. "Gentlemen…welcome to the actual dark side."

"Sebastian!"

"Seb!"

"This place is palatial!"

"Tell me there is a jacuzzi in my room!"

"Did you really grow up here?"

"Can I move in here while you're at Stanford this fall?"

Sebastian accepted the claps on the back, but rolled his eyes and shook his head at the shouting Warblers. "Guys, you'll scare the staff."

Wes extended his hand. "Sebastian Smythe."

"And you have to be Wes." Sebastian shook his hand respectfully. "How is Yale treating you?"

"The Whiffenpoofs are good guys, but they're not as loose and fun as the Warblers."

Sebastian didn't believe in beating around the bush. "Well I trust you heard things got a little too loose since you left, but I think those of us who just graduated left things back to how you knew them."

"I'm certain that you did." Wes tactfully changed the subject. "Quite a crib you have here."

Sebastian was dismissive. "Inherited wealth and all that…you can see why I boarded at Dalton."

Wes certainly did NOT see, but didn't pry.

Sebastian's phone rang. Since he didn't trust Sam to handle the stage lighting for the co-ed bachelor party they were planning, Sebastian was expecting a call from the rental company.

"Guys, your rooms are right at the top of the stairs. Go ahead and get settled and grab something to eat in the kitchen if you want. Sebastian pointed at an enormous archway. "Let's rehearse the bachelor party set in half an hour down here in the entry hall."

He stepped aside from the clamor and answered the call from a 310 number he didn't recognize. "Hello?"

"Sebastian? This is Cooper Anderson."

Sebastian had met Cooper twice. The first time was over Christmas break junior year when Cooper hid out with Sebastian and Blaine from the Anderson's Christmas party for extended family and society friends. They watched Christmas movies and played Rock Band video games late into the night. The second time was during the period where Sebastian tried, albeit awkwardly, to be a comforting friend for Blaine after the Kurt break-up. Cooper had been visiting for Christmas again when Sebastian came over in response to Blaine's panicked call about what to pack for his New York visit. After the suitcase was shut, Sebastian had stayed to drink hot rum and laugh at the brothers' armwrestling.

Sebastian liked Cooper, but not in the usual fawning way Blaine found annoying in his friends. He was amused by, but was unimpressed with Cooper's charm. Sebastian rather relished sparring with him, especially when Cooper would tease Blaine. He enjoyed seeing the smile he could produce on Blaine's face when he easily took Cooper down a few notches in an insult match to defend Blaine.

Sebastian was more than surprised by the call. "Coop… to what do I owe this exceptional honor?"

Cooper stage whispered into the phone, "Any…time…now." He hung up.

* * *

Cooper hung up and walked into the study. "Where's Blaine? I've been yelling my head off."

Mrs. Anderson chided as she bent over a seating chart, "You don't yell Cooper dear, you call a person. You yell if you're in pain."

Cooper sulked, "Well this wedding gives me a pain. I think Blaine is crazy to get married this young, to his first boyfriend ever, two seconds after they got back together."

Mrs. Anderson ignored his commentary. "Move those groomsmen gifts over to the other table, please dear."

"Mom," Cooper moved the boxes, "Blaine's sort of…naïve, you have to admit that."

"Blaine's just…a romantic…and idealistic. And very wonderful, always." Mrs. Anderson replied warmly.

"Yes, but…"

Cooper was interrupted as Blaine bounced in, saying, "Well, the welcome goody bags are all set in all the rooms. I can't believe this place is big enough to house most of the New Directions and our entire extended family!"

"Yes, I'm so grateful Sugar's parents are letting us use their beautiful home for the wedding," Mrs. Anderson replied.

"Are you sure she doesn't have a brother you could marry?" Cooper winked. "He could bankroll a movie for me to star in!"

Blaine shook his head, laughing.

Cooper barreled on. "Or of course there's Sebastian just in the next mansion over! Probably just as much money over there…maybe more. And we know he's gay. And good-looking…like actor-good-looking… handsome enough to not have to do theater. He could be on television or in the movies."

Blaine knew this was high praise coming from Cooper but rolled his eyes anyway. "Cooper, how many times do I have to tell you that Sebastian and I are just friends…"

"I've seen the way he looks at you, Squirt."

"Don't call me that."

"And the way he defends you when I pick on you…it's kind of adorable."

"He just likes picking on you," Blaine laughed.

"He just likes YOU. You're breaking his heart with this wedding, I bet…" Cooper teased.

Blaine's heart twisted a bit. "Stop it, Coop. He helped me propose to Kurt and everything. He told me he's fine…"

"When did he tell you that?"

"Cooper, leave your brother alone," Mrs. Anderson interceded. "Wait, is this the same Sebastian who came over to see you after Finn Hudson passed away?"

Blaine looked guilty. "Yes."

Mrs. Anderson looked out the window. "Charming boy. And yes - terribly handsome."

"He came over again? When?!" Cooper jumped on this new information.

Mrs. Anderson replied as Blaine's eyes closed in annoyance. "In May or so, spent the night…"

"Spent the night?!" Cooper grinned wickedly.

"Nothing happened!" Blaine yelled, "I just needed someone to talk to one night when I couldn't sleep and everyone else was hurting so I didn't want to call ..." He cut himself off and pleaded with his mother, "Can we just talk about something else?"

"I don't know why you're so jumpy about it, if it was nothing…" Cooper teased.

"I'm not jumpy…I just don't know why we are even talking about him. He was nice enough to let us use his house for the bachelor party tonight and to house the Warblers, but I don't even think Sebastian's coming to the wedding," Blaine said earnestly. "He didn't RSVP. And he usually spends the summer in Europe."

"Ah-ha! He can't even bear to witness…" Cooper was sweeping around the room dramatically.

"Cooper, that's enough." Mrs. Anderson said sternly. "Now Blaine dear, I thought it would be nice if you picked up your father from the airport this afternoon."

Blaine looked uncomfortable.

Cooper shot his brother a sympathetic look and stood up. "Squirt's busy with lots of stuff. I'll pick him up, mom."

Blaine thanked his brother quietly."Thanks Coop…I just…can't…deal with him today."

Shaking himself, Blaine smiled rapturously and jumped up on the couch in excitement. "Mom, thanks for everything you and Carole are doing. It's going to be perfect. My fiancé is perfect. Kurt is perfect, isn't he?"

"Kurt is perfect," Mrs. Anderson agreed. "But remember you're not at home and come off the furniture, dear."

Blaine jumped off the couch with acrobatic grace. "I'm the luckiest guy in the whole world, I am so lucky he said yes…" Blaine was interrupted by familiar acapella voices in song, floating across the enormous lawn.

_[They sing of course youtubeDOTcom/watch?v=jU39LM4abh0&list=PLA8B024BC6BC1D502&index=22)_

_The sun goes down  
__The stars come out  
__And all that counts  
__Is here and now  
__My universe will never be the same  
__I'm glad you came_

Cooper smiled, "Ah ha, some Warbler action."

Blaine was confused. He didn't think there was a chance Sebastian would want to come to the wedding. Yet that was definitely Sebastian's voice. He remembered locking eyes with Sebastian as he sang the same song at Regionals last year, Sebastian's magnetic charisma entrancing the auditorium. Afterwards from their seats in the audience, the New Directions couldn't stop talking about it: how sophisticated the Warblers sounded, how they had gotten out of their simplistic two-stepping because of "Slushie Warbler" (Brittany's name for Sebastian). Blaine had been very proud of the Warblers and very exhilarated by Sebastian's first lead performance in competition. Quinn looked smitten until Santana reminded her Sebastian was definitely gay.

Blaine headed across the lawn to the Smythe estate.

_You cast a spell on me, spell on me  
__You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me  
__And I decided you look well on me, well on me  
__So let's go somewhere no one else can see, you and me_

_Turn the lights out now  
__Now I'll take you by the hand  
__Hand you another drink  
__Drink it if you can_

_Can you spend a little time,  
__Time is slipping away,  
__Away from us so stay,  
__Stay with me I can make,  
__Make you glad you came_

_The sun goes down  
__The stars come out  
__And all that counts  
__Is here and now_

_My universe will never be the same  
__I'm glad you came  
__I'm glad you came_

___Turn the lights out now  
__Now I'll take you by the hand  
__Hand you another drink  
__Drink it if you can_

___Can you spend a little time,  
__Time is slipping away,  
__Away from us so stay,  
__Stay with me I can make,  
__Make you glad you came_

_The sun goes down  
__The stars come out  
__And all that counts  
__Is here and now_

_My universe will never be the same  
__I'm glad you came  
__I'm glad you came  
_

_I'm glad you came  
__I'm glad you came_

_The sun goes down  
__The stars come out  
__And all that counts  
__Is here and now  
__  
My universe will never be the same  
__I'm glad you came  
__I'm glad you came_

Sebastian's lips curled into a small smile as he looked through the wide glass doors and saw Blaine approaching. Wes said quietly to David, "He's going to get nowhere with this kind of music. Good for the feet, nothin' for the heart."

* * *

As Blaine walked across the enormous lawn, he thought about Sebastian. He had been hitting on Blaine since the moment they met, but Blaine had gotten used to it and had even grown very fond of him. He was pleased to be one of the few people Seb seemed to respect and open up to. He also admired how Sebastian stood up to his fearsome father, something Blaine hadn't yet done with his own. Besides, once you got past the sharp tongue Sebastian was actually witty, intelligent, and refreshingly honest. Blaine admired his courage to do or say almost anything, no matter what others might think. He was also great company, having impeccable taste, and being a surprisingly good listener. And no, his constant flirting didn't hurt Blaine's ego.

Blaine had worried about him though, when he began to suspect that Sebastian was developing feelings for him. When he felt betrayed by Sebastian's blackmailing and scheming in their junior year, Santana proffered her opinion. "He was obviously pissed when he found out you and Kurt started doing the nasty, Short-Stack. Hell hath no fury like a bitch scorned. I didn't think that hip-swinging sex maniac had a ticker under that preppy blazer, but anyone can see that bastard has it bad for you." Blaine worried she was right, but couldn't say no to Sebastian's overtures to become friends again after Karofsky's suicide attempt that year.

He was glad to have his friendship after the Kurt break-up. And when Sebastian didn't hit on him, Blaine thought Sebastian wasn't interested in that way anymore. Still, sometimes he thought he saw something more meaningful in a look or an expression that made him worry again. So to err on the side of caution, Blaine didn't plan on telling Sebastian that he and Kurt slept together at Mr. Schue's almost-wedding. But as he walked into their next coffee date, Sebastian took one look at him from across the room and called, "You got laid, yes?" Blaine didn't think he could blush any harder.

They had gotten in a fight about it, Sebastian arguing that Kurt was stringing him along and Blaine insisting that they would end up back together. They made up, but he could feel Sebastian begin to distance himself, and over time Blaine had to accept it, especially when his school workload and activities made it more difficult for him to reach out more often to his friend.

He learned the situation was much worse than he feared when he found a hollowed-out Sebastian sitting by the lake after Blaine's proposal to Kurt. Sebastian wanted to cut ties and Blaine agreed, until he called a few weeks later in a deeply sad moment following Finn's death. Blaine mourned, Sebastian listened, and the next morning, Sebastian left. "Call if you need me again," he had said. Sebastian's green eyes looked sympathetic, but his mouth was in a carefully neutral expression. Blaine didn't think it would be a good idea to call again.

"Blaine!"

"Those short legs made good time across that gi-normous lawn!"

"Well he doesn't have a ball and chain on him yet."

"How are you doing, man?"

Blaine's heart warmed as he was surrounded by his old Dalton buddies, but he was concerned by the detached and cool look on Sebastian's face. "Can I talk to you privately?" he asked Sebastian in an urgent undertone.

"Ok guys, we're sounding great, now let's see how we can re-choreograph on a smaller stage," Wes said tactfully, corralling the rest of the group smoothly away from Blaine and Sebastian.

Blaine poked his head into the library and gestured for Sebastian to follow him in. Sebastian strolled behind him, lagging behind to enjoy the view of Blaine's backside. "You've lost a little weight, haven't you, Killer? Thankfully not where it counts the most."

Blaine turned to face him with big, questioning eyes. "Seb, what are you doing here?"

Sebastian laughed lazily. "You didn't think I would let those blazered toddlers loose in here with just Wes as a den mother?"

"So…you're here...to chaperone? And you're not coming to the wedding?"

"Of course I'm coming." Sebastian said innocently.

Blaine's looked puzzled. "But you didn't have to come, I told Kurt and anyone else who asked that you would be in Europe this summer."

The trademark smirk appeared. "Blaine, clearly my RSVP must have gotten lost in the mail. I'm not sure why you didn't call me to confirm, rather than make grandiose assumptions."

"Stop acting like a jackass. You know why I would have assumed you wouldn't want to come."

Sebastian grinned. "It's not a problem if I come, is it? Unless there is not enough cuisine?"

Blaine sighed. "Why do you have to be like this? Seriously, why are you here?"

"I came, Killer," Sebastian looked up darkly. "To see you get married."

"But I thought you wouldn't…wouldn't…" Blaine looked down.

"Wouldn't what?" Sebastian said coolly.

Blaine trailed off, looking guilty. "Wouldn't want to see me marry Kurt."

Sebastian paced the parquet floor. "Now why wouldn't I? I saw you propose to him, I even rehearsed the Warblers and added my matchless tenor to the mix." He smoothly replicated a turn from the proposal number for Blaine. "It's only fitting that I would get to see you put yet another ring on it."

Blaine was apologetic. "Seb, when I asked you to help with the proposal, I didn't...I didn't realize…"

"You didn't realize what?"

Silence.

"Come now B, what did you not realize before you came careening down the halls of Dalton asking for help from the group you abandoned AND blew the whistle on? What didn't you realize?"

"I didn't realize how much…" Blaine almost whispered.

"Really Killer, that public school should have taught you graduates how to complete sentences."

Blaine's heart wrenched. "I didn't realize how much you…" Blaine whispered the painful words, "loved me."

"Hmmm...I never said LOVE."

Blaine protested, equal parts guilt and equal parts exasperation. "But at the lake…"

"Okay, okay, okay." Sebastian raised both hands in the air. "I've turned over a new leaf, so I'll stop messing with you. Plus you've got me...you caught me in a weak moment at the lake and I can't take that back, nor the note I left you." (author's note: see blainedarlingDOTtumblrDOTcom/post/62709805402/ for a copy of the note)

Blaine softened, his concern mounting.

Sebastian was calm and matter of fact. "I was honest then, so I'll be honest now... I'm still in love with you. And I don't think you should get married."

Blaine looked incredulous. "Seriously? You've come to me on the day before my wedding to tell me that you don't think I should get married?!"

Sebastian looked out the window. "Yes, the timing could have been better. But that's true of almost all of our history, isn't it, Killer? I blame my tardiness on too much drinking after Mademoiselle Hummel said yes. Scotch does tend to throw off my timing. But it's a good thing that I've come to my senses just in time, since no one else seems to have the balls to intervene."

Blaine's jaw hung open.

Sebastian arched an eyebrow. "Don't look so surprised. Surely you can't be so naïve to think that there won't be anyone else at your wedding faux smiling like I did at your over-the-top, cheesey, circus-like proposal. You are still 18 and getting married to the only guy you've ever dated."

Blaine looked wounded and still in shock.

"For awhile, I too thought that was the kind thing to do. I did, however, decide I couldn't stomach having to actually witness your mistake live and in-person. I was supposed to be on a plane to Paris two hours ago." Sebastian pulled an airline boarding pass out of his pocket and waved it. "But early this morning something in the pit of my stomach told me that I would regret it. I realized that turning over a new leaf doesn't mean being nice ALL the time. In fact, telling a loved one that they are making a mistake is the upstanding thing to do. So here I am. I don't want you to get married now because I still think you will be a better person if you don't. We're young Blaine…"

Blaine burst out, "You sound like every other person before..."

"I'm NOT finished," Sebastian cut him off coolly. "If you insist on breaking my heart tomorrow you can let me finish today. And since it sounds like maybe Sam or others with a minimum level of sense have shared with you my thoughts on teenage marriage, I will get right to the two of you specifically. Actually, let me just get to you, I because I know you always think I'm painting Hummel as the villain."

Sebastian spoke slowly. "Killer, have you thought about why you didn't just want to get back together with him, but rather you have to marry him right now, to be bound together with an eternal one true love always and forever? Why do you have to have a perfect love right now? Heck, why do you have to be perfect, period? You were valedictorian, got that scholarship to NYADA. Your every hair is nailed into place, your every shirt looks like it came right out of the package. You work out until your body is perfect, you were class president and head of every club in school, you learned how to cook, you spoke at your graduation, every adult and every girl you've ever encountered worships the ground you walk on. Heck, when I watch Evans, Artie, and that mop-headed kid sometimes, I swear they might turn gay for you."

"What's your point, Sebastian?" Blaine asked, temperature rising.

"My point is, your relationship looks like just one more perfect ideal you are striving so hard to make happen. Like you're trying to prove to the world (with rose petals and show choirs) that you love Kurt more than anyone has ever loved another human being. That's why you beat yourself up so hard when you cheated on him. You were appalled that you could be not perfect in such a big way."

"What is wrong with wanting to show Kurt I love him more than anyone else on the planet?"

"What's wrong is that it's going to back up on you, Killer. You'll spend the rest of your life trying to prove your perfect love to him. It is EXHAUSTING to watch you live like this. You're sometimes happy, but most of the time you're just working really, really hard. When you pause, you're like a puppy panting next to your owner after fetching a ball. You're rarely at peace except maybe when you escape into a movie or video game or let yourself eat too much junk food at my house or go apeshit comicbook nerd with Sam. You never let yourself unhinge around him - you tell me that even your movie nights with him involve GOURMET junk food! You're never going to figure out what you want in life if you spend all your energy trying to be perfect for other people, especially your perfect husband. Because perfect Blaine Anderson should have the perfect husband, too. I've never heard you say one bad word about Hummel…ever. How is that possible?"

"You've always said enough bad words for both of us." Blaine replied hotly, fists clenching,

"Come on B, you know I never trashed him when you would call me crying."

Blaine had to admit to himself that this was true.

Sebastian continued calmly. "Have you ever fought with him and won? When is the last time you got him to apologize? When you got back together… how did that go down?"

Tears sprang to Blaine's eyes but he took a deep breath and said very quietly, "Sebastian if you can't support this wedding, just go away…and stay away...at least for a while."

Sebastian's lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "I told you I tried to…I even wanted to...but I guess I'm just a weak character. I'm still in love with you."

All Blaine could do was walk out in frustration.

* * *

Sebastian watched Blaine practically run across the lawn, rubbing his temples and wondering why the new leaf business was so exhausting.

"You can't dole it out quite that straight with him. He's stubborn as a mule."

Sebastian jumped and whipped around. "For god's sake, Coop…you scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry."

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know he's breaking your heart tomorrow for a hamburger today."

Sebastian shook his head. "Fuck, I've turned into a Lifetime movie."

Cooper gave him a sympathetic smile. "I was going for a Popeye cartoon reference, but maybe you guys are too young to remember that." He let Sebastian take a beat.

Seb sat down and picked at his Burberry chinos. "I don't think your brother likes me much right now."

Cooper made a beeline for the well stocked bar cart in the corner of the library. "What do you suppose he sees in Kurt anyway?"

Sebastian stared at a portrait of his grandfather above the giant library fireplace. "Oh I don't know...Blaine likes character, I guess."

"I don't think Kurt has so much character," Cooper said petulantly as he began to pour scotch for both of them.

"I hate to admit it, but Blaine could do worse than Hummel." Sebastian looked rueful. "His mom died, he got bullied, and now he's going to NYADA and he's made some good connections at Vogue. They'll build a classic New York life together."

"Hollywood is where it's at." Cooper interjected.

Sebastian gazed out a window and said slowly, "And even if he was an idiot to wear a kilt like a bullseye to it, I suppose it takes a lot of character to come back and hold your head up high at your own prom after the whole school has basically called you a faggy drag queen by secret ballot."

Cooper ignored this. He handed Sebastian a scotch and strutted across the floor with his own raised in the air. "But why does he always walk like he owns the world? The way he sniffs the air... like he's looking for breakfast!"

Sebastian downed his scotch. "Coop, that acting coach deserves a raise."

"Have another drink, Sebby boy."

"Don't call me that."

* * *

Kurt pulled up on the Motta driveway in his father's SUV loaded down with wedding favors. Blaine ran up behind the car to greet him with a hug.

"Hi!"

"Hello, handsome." Kurt giggled, encircling his waist.

"Hello, gorgeous." Blaine beamed.

"Did you miss me?"

"Miserably."

"Happy now?"

"Ecstatic."

"Didn't expect to see you coming from the garden, did the Warblers arrive early?"

Blaine swallowed. "Yes, I think they have a surprise performance planned or something. And Sebastian is there, too – I guess he decided to come to the wedding after all."

Kurt tried to sound nonchalant. "We should talk to them about their surprise. I don't like surprises at events I plan. Wait, Sebastian came after all? Well that's nice, as long as the headcount works out."

Blaine gave him a searching look. "Kurt, you don't really mind him, do you?"

"Sebastian? Of course I don't mind him coming to the wedding. He helped you with the proposal…"

"Not just him coming. The fact of him…."

"How do you mean?"

"That he...liked me, and now he and I are friends. That...we became friends again after you and I broke up. That...he's a Warbler and the Warblers are a part of me."

"Oh Blaine, Sebastian isn't a threat to me now. Maybe I was intimidated at first by his alpha-gay handsomeness and sophistication, but now I know I'm a New Yorker and you have learned your lesson and will never cheat on me again..."

Blaine looked relieved.

Kurt opened the door to the backseat. "Look, the favors came out so great! Oh, and you'll never guess what great news I got today! Broadwaystage dot com s covering the wedding! They are sending a reporter and a photographer/videographer today to write a story on 'Rachel Berry, Always a Bridesmaid, but Never the Bride!'"

Blaine interjected, "But isn't this the first time Rachel will be in a wedding party?

"Well it makes for a better story if we said this was her 5th one." Kurt giggled.

Blaine laughed nervously. "Do you think they are going to want to talk to my dad?"

"Probably, any story about a wedding would include getting to know the families of the wedding parties...why do you ask?"

"My dad is really private. Remember he's the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, so his reputation can affect the stock price. He's not going to like this, Kurt. He's going to refuse to cooperate. Don't you think we should have asked my mom first?"

"Blaine, I thought you would be excited about this! This is Broadwaystage dot com ! Producers could read this and remember our names for casting their next show! Ok, maybe not producers. But maybe producers' assistants! And all of NYADA will be buzzing about it! You don't have an unphotogenic angle on your being, my dear fiancé, so don't worry. Please Blaine..." Kurt cast him his best puppy eyes.

Blaine softened whenever Kurt looked at him like that. "Well, maybe we'll get lucky and he won't be here when they come…"

"Let me call Rachel, she didn't tell me when they are coming and going."

"Wait, did you say videographer?"

"Yes."

"Please tell me you warned them about Cooper."

"Oh crap, I forgot about Cooper." Kurt grimaced. "Maybe we can hide him in a closet."

* * *

Sebastian and Cooper finished their umpteenth scotch and were a step or two beyond tipsy.

Cooper slapped Sebastian on the back and said, "Really, I think you can stop this wedding, Sebby."

"Stop calling me that," Sebastian shot back. "And stop being so goddamned optimistic."

"Well someone has to have a happy ending," Cooper moaned. "I certainly never will after Lucy Hale dumped me."

"THE Lucy Hale?" Sebastian slurred. "Isn't she a little young for you?"

"Shut up." Cooper thundered. "Anyway, I better get back to my blessed mother, who ruined me for any woman who dares to go near me, apparently."

"And I need to be rehearsing soon with my fellow Warblers. I should warm up my vocal chords and dexterous dancing feet." Sebastian said, two-stepping across the room. "I'll dance you back to your beloved family," he said, throwing an arm around Cooper's shoulders and guiding him out the glass doors. "Do you sing acapella as well as your brother? Because when I'm drunk, I let people duet with me. And 'What Causes That' is the perfect song for this moment." Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Oh right, it was a duet on Broadway and Blaine tells me you think Broadway is dead."

"Well I feel dead right now," blinked Cooper. "And Blaine and I are resurrecting Broadway, one Gershwin number at a time."

_The pair sang and danced across the lawn (adapted from _"What Causes That" youtubeDOTcom/watch?v=ppY689MlI74).

_[Sebastian]_

_He's so full of trickery..._

_Life is bitter as chicory,_

_Bitterness fills my cup._

_[Cooper]_

_I'm sorry you brought that up._

_Once I thought I'd search around_

_For the little church around_

_The corner, but now I see._

_[Both]_

_It never was meant to be._

_[Sebastian]_

_Once he used to praise me._

_[Cooper]_

_Why is she so high hat?_

_[Sebastian]_

_Boy, does he amaze me._

_[Both]_

_Tell me what causes that?!_

_[Cooper]_

_When I'm away from her I start despairing._

_[Both]_

_Oy oy oy_

_[Sebastian]_

_You ought to know by now what causes that!_

_[Cooper]_

_Yah, I got pretty good idea!_

_[Sebastian]_

_I'm growing balder from the hair I'm tearing._

_[Both]_

_You ought to know by now what causes that!_

_When s/he keeps on brushing you aside_

_Oh gosh, you're all at sea!_

_You go contemplating suicide -_

_It's much too much for me!_

_You're not so dumb that you don't know the answer._

_Loving her/him is what causes that!_

_[Sebastian]_

_If I should climb the Brooklyn Bridge and jump off._

_[Cooper]_

_Wait, you'll hurt yourself!_

_[Sebastian]_

_That's the whole idea!  
_

_[Cooper]_

_Oh, I suppose you'd ask what causes that?_

_[Sebastian]_

_I've gotten depressed_

_[Cooper]_

_You're depressed, I'm just not myself today._

_If I should get a gun and bump this chump off [points finger in the shape of a gun]._

_[Sebastian]_

_Point that thing the other way!_

_[Cooper]_

_Oh, I suppose you'd ask what causes that?_

_[Both]_

_Really you don't have to mope around_

_And burn up as you do,_

_There's a cannon and a rope around,_

_There's lots of poison too!_

_I'm very blue of late and there's a reason:_

_[Sebastian]_

_Loving him..._

_[Cooper]_

_Loving her..._

_[Both]_

_Is what causes that!_

_[The two do a tap dance break on the Motta's side patio]_

_[Both]_

_I'm very blue of late and there's a reason:_

_Loving her/him is what causes that!_

_...Is what causes that!_

_...Is what causes that!_

_...Is what causes that!_

___...Is what causes that!_

___...Is what causes that!_

"COOPER!" Blaine called from inside the house. Cooper jumped down from the patio bench he had been dancing on and ran into the house, leaving Sebastian collapsed into a chaise lounge.

"What's up, Squirt?"

Blaine ran up to him. "Don't call me that. Where have you been? Why haven't you been picking up your phone? Kurt just let me know that there are reporters on their way over RIGHT NOW to cover the wedding because Rachel is maid of honor. I need you to be on your BEST behavior."

Cooper balked. "Does Dad know about this?"

"No."

"You are going to get SO busted. You know how he is about that kind of thing."

"Cooper, Dad's not even here yet. We'll worry about that later. Maybe we can just keep him away from these people."

"You don't think he's going to figure out what's going on? This is the man who, from the dining room table, sniffed out my shoplifted beer wrapped in my sweatshirt, in my backpack, in the trunk of my car inside the garage." He's like part bloodhound."

"Cooper, just help me handle this. This is the kind of thing the Best Man is supposed to do."

Cooper sniffed, "Then have Sam do it, since you wanted HIM to be your best man."

"Cooper we've been through this before, you're both my best men NOW…when I asked Sam, I thought you would be off in Mexico shooting a movie this summer!"

"Yeah...thanks for rubbing salt in the wound on that cancelled fiasco."

Blaine didn't think he could be any more exasperated. "Cooper, I'm begging you!"

Cooper shrugged and narrowed his eyes. "Broadway people creep me out. And web reporters are like the pond scum of reporters - nosy, tabloid writers who will just write pure fiction to get a few hits on their obscure sites."

"Just be the nice big brother you're supposed to be so they can have their little story, PLEASE. For me, please." Blaine grabbed Cooper's shoulders from behind.

Cooper turned around on him. "Blaine, I can't believe Kurt didn't ask you before sending these people over here. On your wedding day, strangers watching our every move - why jotting down notes on how we sit and talk and eat and move! Just to blow up Kurt's ego? No! No!"

"I doubt this story is going to be that in depth, Coop." Blaine implored again, "If not for Kurt, for Rachel, and for me, big brother?"

"Oh I hate it when you give me those puppy eyes. Fine, fine. For you. But I'm not going to like it." Cooper paced the room for a moment, then turned with a sudden mischievous smile. "Alright, let them send their spies. I'll give them a story. I'll give them a wedding day spectacular that will stand their hair on end."

"Coop, NO. Be good." Blaine nervously ran his fingers through his hair, then stopped short, horrified. "Shoot, I screwed up my hair!" Blaine ran for towards the stairs. "Coop, Rachel isn't even here yet, and Kurt is changing. You know he takes forever, so if I'm not down yet, will you greet these people? And promise me you'll behave?"

Cooper looked at him innocently and crossed his fingers behind his back. "I promise."

Sebastian, peeking in from the open patio doors, crossed his fingers, too.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Welcome back to a High Society romp, Glee-style. This chapter includes the grand entrance of Jesse St. James, Harmony the Gerber Baby, and a cameo by Robert Downey Junior as Uncle Willy. Hope you enjoy - I'd love to get your feedback in the reviews, so do drop a line!

**Chapter 2**

Jesse St. James paid the taxicab after they pulled up to the Motta mansion. As he moved the bags from the curb to the front steps, Harmony looked at the ornate door. "This looks like the sort of place where peace treaties are signed."

"Or wars declared," Jesse said.

Harmony joked, "Maybe we should have gone around to the service entrance."

"Maybe this IS the service entrance," Jesse replied.

Harmony remarked, "The Hudson-Hummels are a political family, so I get them wanting the press, but I don't understand how the blue-blood Andersons ever got talked into letting us come down here."

"Publicity," Jesse replied. "They love it. The father is a CEO, maybe showing off how progressive he is with his gay son helps PR somehow."

Harmony pressed the door chime. "I also I don't understand how you and I, with all of our outstanding talent, ended up as bloggers in the Broadway world."

"Because neither of us got into NYADA, and this helps to pay the rent." Jesse answered grimly.

"But being the stranger at someone's wedding? I don't like this assignment," Harmony complained.

"I don't either," Jesse said. "But I like to eat."

The door opened and Jesse formally greeted the butler. "How do you do. I think we're expected. I'm Jesse St. James and this is Harmony Pearce. We're from Broadwaystage."

"I'll tell Mr. Anderson you're here," the butler answered. "Please wait in the south parlor."

Jesse and Harmony put their bags down with laughing eyes.

"The south parlor…" Jesse gestured grandly.

"But of course," Harmony stepped in the room with a flourish.

The butler opened the doors to an enormous room with lush carpet, antiques, a grand piano and wood paneling. "Someone will be here directly to welcome you." He bowed and left.

"The south parlor…" Jesse drawled again. "Would you have four footmen bring me a large ashtray?"

"Jesse, be careful what you say," Harmony smirked. "We may be wired for sound!"

"They couldn't pay me to live in a joint like this," Jesse declared.

"Well they won't, so I wouldn't worry about it."

"I'd have more respect for these guys if they threw us out."

"Don't make snap judgments. You were wrong about me, remember?" Harmony joked.

"Yeah," Jesse winked.

Harmony busied herself unpacking her camera.

Jesse opened an adjoining room door. "Hey Harm, take a look at this..." He stepped back to reveal a gallery full of sculpture and paintings. Jesse popped his head in, and then right back out after seeing servants in the room dusting.

"What's the matter?" Harmony asked.

Jesse stage whispered, "The joint's full of spies!"

Harmony shrugged, "Well that ought to just make us feel at home." She squinted through her view finder as Jesse walked into her frame. "Move over..."

Jesse obliged, then picked up an IPad on an end table. "Look at this Harmony, all the comforts. You can FaceTime every lousy room: south parlor, terrace, pool, stables...STABLES?"

"Even horses have IPads, Jesse."

Jesse grabbed a sofa cushion to cover his face and dramatically tapped the IPad.

"Jesse, don't!" Harmony hissed.

"Yes?" Mrs. Anderson asked tentatively from the study.

"This is the Voice of Doom" Jesse boomed, "This is to tell you your days are numbered."

Mrs. Anderson hung up and fretted in frustration, "Oh dear, one of the servants has been at the sherry again. I knew we should have just had a smaller wedding somewhere else."

"Look Huckleberry," Harmony chided. "You're going to get us thrown out of here before we get a story!"

"Stop worrying," Jesse waved her off. "You just watch the old master put these people through the loops."

"I'll watch, professor." Harmony returned chastely. She strolled up to a portrait painting. "Are these Sugar Motta's ancestors? There certainly would be no other reason for hanging them. Can't say they look very bright."

"In-breeding," Jesse replied. "Always produces idiots."

"Ah!" Cooper burst through the door, in pink silk pajamas and a black paisley smoking jacket. Jesse and Harmony jumped at the exclamation, and stared as Cooper swept into the room to bow in front of them from the waist. "How do you do," he gushed, "I believe you are the lady and gentleman from the press. I am Cooper Pierre Anderson. "

"Well I'm Harmony Pearce, and this is Mr. Jesse St. James"

"Bienvenue! I spoke French before I spoke English," Cooper gushed. "My early childhood was spent in Paris, where my father worked in a bank. The House of Morgan. JP Morgan, as you might know it."

Jesse furrowed his brow. "You don't say."

"Oh yes I do say," Cooper preened. "Absolument! Can you play the piano? I can! I shall play AND sing at the same time." He bounced over to the piano and crashed some chords as he sang boisterously:

"You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs!  
But I look around me and I see it isn't so!  
Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs!  
And what's wrong with that?!  
I'd like to know, 'cause here I go…again!"

Jesse put his hands behind his head, not too subtly trying to cover his ears with his arms.

When there was a pause, Harmony interjected, "Excuse me Cooper…about Rachel?"

"I'm sure she'll be along any moment now," Cooper returned, sitting down on the coffee table in front of Jesse and Harmony. "I'm sure you're DESPERATE to meet our little gold star. Did I mention I live in Hollywood, just down the street from the Avenue of the Stars?"

"Oh, you're from Hollywood! NOW I understand." Jesse said with a knowing glance to Harmony

"Now did you get lost coming here?" Cooper gazed at them intensely.

"No, not at all, we had good directions," Jesse answered, smirking.

Harmony added, "I do hope the family doesn't mind us being here for the wedding."

"Oh we're delighted, we have SO much cake," Cooper answered lightly.

In a dramatic change of tone, he asked with gravity. "Now how long have you been seeking the truth for the noble profession of journalism?"

"Just a couple of months," said Harmony. "I just take the pictures."

"About a year," said Jesse. "We're both actors and just do this on the side."

"You're actors!" squealed Cooper. "Have we seen you in anything?"

"Mostly regional work," Jesse said coolly.

"Oh but you must do work on Broadway! Why the Billy Elliot boys were just 14 when they won their Tonys," purred Cooper. "You must be at least twenty! Time is flying!"

He whirled to face Harmony. "Now where were you born, Ms. Pearce?"

"Defiance, Ohio."

"Then you are one of US!"

Harmony looked slightly appalled.

Cooper leaned forward, gesturing between Jesse and Harmony. "Are you two, GOING together?"

"Now look, Cooper," Jesse began.

"That's an odd question," Harmony laughed nervously.

"Oh I don't see why," Cooper said, "It's FASCINATING…the birds and the bees you know…Why it's the sort of intimate detail you like to write about, isn't it Mr. St. James?"

Jesse opened his mouth to speak.

Cooper stood up. "But if you'd rather not have your privacy invaded, I will certainly respect your wishes. Now let me go see what is keeping the rest of the family. They are SO eager to see you," Cooper swept out into the hallway calling, "MaMAH! MaMAH! Blaine DeVAHN!"

Harmony and Jesse looked at each other with incomprehension.

"You know Professor," Harmony said, looking perturbed, "I think you've dropped a loop."

"Oh he can't be for real," Jesse said in disgust.

"WHO was doing the interviewing?" Harmony said, still agitated. "Do you think he was born that way?"

"Nah, it takes YEARS," Jesse replied, laughing. "I know we're being taken for a ride. Well if we are, let's enjoy the scenery."

"I'm scared! I wanna go home!" Harmony only half-joked.

They heard a scuffle behind the door and Blaine entered calmly, stuffing Cooper's ascot in his pocket.

"Hello, I'm Blaine Anderson," he said, extending a hand.

"I'm Harmony Pearce."

Blaine looked puzzled. "Have we met?"

Harmony rattled off brightly, "I sang lead for the Unitards show choir at sectionals your junior year. 'Buenos Aires'? I graduated early and have been acting and auditioning in New York and winning photography competitions in my spare time."

_The Gerber Baby._ Blaine worried about how Kurt was going to take this.

"And I'm Jesse St. James," Jesse stepped toward him with a predatory look.

"Wait, Jesse St. James? Aren't you..."

"The one who joined New Directions, then egged Rachel and tried to take credit for Unique Wade Adams' tour de force performance in the 2012 West Ohio and national show choir competitions? Yes, that would be me. Hopefully Rachel told you that we made amends at her Nationals competition her senior year. I too have been stringing for BroadwayStage part time and wanted to make sure she was well represented in this piece." Jesse took Blaine's hand with a gleam in his eye. "I must say, Kurt did well for himself."

Blaine blushed. "Kurt and the others are on the patio, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Not at all," Jesse said smoothly. "We enjoyed the floor show."

Blaine blushed again. "I'm sorry about my brother. He takes any chance to…you see he's an actor..."

"So all that talent runs in the family," Jesse remarked. "I'm guessing your parents were performers in their younger days, too? They must be genetically blessed as well?"

Blaine abruptly began to guide them towards the door. "Won't you join us for lunch? We were just about to sit down."

"Yes, thank you," Harmony answered. "Is your father here? It would be great to get a portrait of all the men of the family together with both grooms."

Blaine opened the door, "Right this way. What would you like to drink?"

All three proceeded to the spacious patio, where elegant vines climbed and lush, elegant flowers bloomed amongst expensive teak furnishings. The Hudson-Hummels, Sam, Mrs. Anderson, and Rachel were gathered near the long table set for lunch and Kurt and Cooper poured drinks by a bar cart.

Blaine gave Kurt a worried look. "Look who's writing for BroadwayStage, Kurt. You remember Jesse St. James from Vocal Adrenaline, and Harmony Pearce from the Unitards?"

Kurt stared at them, then recovered quickly. "Good to see you again," he said graciously. "You both look wonderful. And I'm an avid reader of your website." He handed lemonade to each of them as Blaine ducked into the kitchen.

"I haven't earned a byline and the accompanying pay bump yet," Jesse said with a wink, "But maybe this piece will do the trick."

Blaine returned, hooking Kurt's arm. "I've asked them to set two extra places for lunch."

"Make it three." Sebastian seemed to appear out of thin air. "Hey Blaine," Blaine stiffened as Sebastian hugged him, smelling of cologne and alcohol, saying offhandedly, "Hello, everyone else."

Cooper clapped Sebastian on the shoulder. "Sebastian my boy, this is Mr. St. James and Ms. Pearce from BroadwayStage. Mr. St. James and Ms. Pearce, may I present Mr. Sebastian Smythe, a dear, DEAR friend of the family." Cooper blissfully ignored glares from Blaine and Kurt.

Sebastian smiled his most charming smile. "BroadwayStage – impressive, Killer. They are writing celebrity profiles about you before you even start your freshman year at NYADA?"

"Killer?" Harmony asked, smiling.

"Cute little pet name, isn't it?" Cooper returned, "Maybe it's a Dalton Academy Warbler thing."

"Isn't it time for your next movie to get cancelled, Coop?" Blaine glowered.

Harmony snapped a photo of Blaine, Cooper and Sebastian. "Groomsmen?"

"No," Blaine said brusquely, shooting another death glare to both his brother and Sebastian.

Jesse was scrolling through notes on his phone. "Hm. Are you the same Sebastian Smythe that blackmailed Rachel, serenaded Blaine with "I Got You Back," and then tried to rock-salt-slushie Kurt, but got Blaine instead?"

Even Cooper fell silent at that, looking guilty as Sebastian's face went stony, Blaine looked angry, and Kurt looked mortified.

Blaine was the first to recover with a forced smile, "That's right Jesse – I suppose Rachel told you about all that? High School hijinks… Sebastian apologized, we're all friends again, he even helped me gather the Warblers to help me propose to Kurt."

"I heard about that," Jesse grinned.

"And he's off to Stanford in September," Blaine added lightly.

Sebastian took a swig of yet another scotch, hating that Blaine was defending him.

Jesse asked, "Tell me Blaine, how and when did you and Kurt meet?"

"How? Oh, they met under the stars…" waxed Sebastian lyrically. "Or rather, under the skylight at Dalton when Kurt was about to become a Warbler. And when? Ah, you'd have to go pretty far back to figure that out," he smirked, "since they have known each other and loved each other for all eternity, apparently."

Cooper shot a worried glance at Sebastian but gave a frothy laugh, "Ha ha! Yes we're all very friendly; it's the only civilized way to behave!"

"Well yes," Harmony said slyly, "May I have a picture of the three Warbler alumni together then?"

Sebastian grinned, "Of course!"

Blaine protested, "Well I don't think…"

Kurt said grimly, "Oh, well…"

Sebastian walked over and put his hand around Blaine's waist. "Something like this look pretty thrilling?"

Blaine turned his back to him but Sebastian held him tight with the one arm as Blaine gripped Kurt's arm as if his life depended on it.

"May I suggest that you and Kurt look at one another, you know, to bookend…the frame?" Jesse looked like he was enjoying himself immensely.

Harmony's shutter began to click.

Sebastian whispered to Kurt as he winked at him, "You don't look as well as the last time I saw you, Kurt…"

Click click.

"Of course it's understandable, you've got a lot on your mind. But it's not too late to back out, dear boy." Sebastian looked devilish.

Kurt took a deep breath as Blaine squirmed.

Cooper giggled, "Look at them! 'Once a Warbler, always a Warbler'!"

Harmony called out, "Blaine, will you look at Sebastian in this one, please?"

Kurt looked at Harmony like she was insane. Blaine pasted on a bright smile and turned reluctantly to face Sebastian.

Sebastian whispered, "Ah, the lovely, youthful face of the child bride. "

"Haven't you had enough to drink, Sebastian?" Blaine bristled.

Click click click.

Sebastian began to step away but Harmony called out, "One more, please."

"Naturally," Sebastian obliged. Stepping back, he added, "He needs trouble to mature, Kurt. Give him a lot of it."

"I'm afraid he can't count on me for that," Kurt shot back.

"That's a pity, 'cause I gave him plenty." Sebastian drawled.

"You gave us BOTH plenty," Kurt retorted.

"Not the same kind!"

"Ready?" Harmony asked.

Jesse suggested, "Kurt, could you smile a bit? You're one of the grooms, you know."

Mrs. Anderson called from the table, "Are you all ready to eat?"

Jesse looked over. "There are the parents of the grooms! Wait, we're missing one."

Cooper attempted to joke, "My father loathes publicity!"

"But he WILL be here a little later, won't he? Jesse asked.

A Bentley pulled up on the driveway, honking.

"PaPAH!" Cooper bellowed and ran down the driveway.

It was Blaine's turn to look mortified.

Blaine and Cooper's Uncle Willy climbed out of the car.

"PaPAH!" Cooper repeated, skipping towards him. "It's PaPAH!" He called back at the staring group.

Sebastian grinned and clapped his hands. "Oh Capital! It's PaPAH!"

"Dear Papah, you've come at last." Cooper gushed.

"Papah?" asked Uncle Willy, looking mystified. "Have you slipped a cog?"

"Uncle Willy," Cooper said under his breath. "For the time being, you HAVE to be dad."

"Why?"

"Shh, I'll explain later." Cooper took him by the hand and turned towards the house, flinging his other hand in the air. "Look, it's PaPAH!"

"He's apparently Papah," Jesse smirked at Harmony.

Blaine said nervously, "Kurt, why don't you ask the staff to set another place for lunch."

"You're looking terribly well, Papah," Sebastian greeted him.

"Well thank you," Uncle Willy bowed.

Cooper led Uncle Willy up to the new guests. "Papah, this is Ms. Pearce and Mr. St. James."

"How do you do?" Uncle Willy grinned.

Blaine grabbed Uncle Willy's arm and gave him a meaningful look. "They're from BroadwayStage's website - they've come to cover our wedding for their blog."

"'Cover' the wedding?" Uncle Willy knit his eyebrows. "Ah I see. And there's nothing this family loves more than a little publicity."

Harmony snapped a photo. "Father of Groom," she said brightly.

"Oh I'm afraid you got my bad side!" Uncle Willy demurred playfully

"Oh, I'm sure you have no bad side, Mr. Anderson," Harmony responded as she turned to the bar cart and set her camera down.

"I like her," Uncle Willy leered, looking at her backside.

"Well I'll have a drink now, if I may?" Harmony asked Sebastian, who was now pouring another scotch.

Kurt stepped beside her with his footed iced tea glass, hooking it on the camera strap and knocking it over. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" he said with mock sincerity. "Is it ruined?"

Sebastian smirked and said under his breath, "You can only hope."

Harmony said, "I carry a spare."

The butler approached Kurt. "Luncheon is served."

Blaine heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you Edward! Shall we head over to the table? I'm sure we're all starving, and I'm sure Rachel will be thrilled to see you, Jesse and Harmony. Bring your drinks!" Kurt and Cooper followed him quickly.

Uncle Willy complained, "I haven't got a drink!"

"Well have some Schnapps, pops!" Sebastian said, lingering.

"I think I will!" Uncle Willy poured with enthusiasm as Jesse and Harmony looked on.

Sebastian smirked, "Say tell me Richard, when you look around you, you know this beautiful family and everything, don't you often wonder what you've done to deserve it?"

Uncle Willy replied with verve, "I do indeed, I do indeed my boy! Every morning I look in the mirror and I say to myself, Richard Anderson, what in the world have you done to deserve this?'"

Sebastian chuckled.

"And what HAVE you done?" Harmony asked with a smile.

"Oh not a thing," Uncle Willy grinned back at her.

"It's a fine place they have here, " Jesse said as the group walked towards lunch. "Did they build it themselves?"

"Oh of course," Uncle Willy replied, "Brick by brick! Quite an undertaking!" He stopped, looking through an archway where he saw his brother walking in. "And it would appear that each brick is about to fall upon me."

Sebastian called out, "Blaine, your Uncle Willy is here!"

Blaine turned around in annoyance, in a stage whisper. "My what?"

Sebastian said urgently, "Your Uncle Willy. Aren't you going to greet your Uncle Willy?"

Cooper looked towards the door and leapt into action, bounding across the room. "Uncle Willy! Uncle Willy!"

Mr. Anderson looked at Cooper as if he had grown three heads.

Cooper whispered, "Dad, what are you doing here so early?"

"I think I have a right to be here whenever I please," Mr. Anderson answered heatedly.

"You're Uncle Willy, ok?" Cooper pleaded.

"I'm Uncle…what?"

"I'll explain later," Cooper led his father in the room. "Look everybody! Isn't it nice of Uncle Willy to surprise us?"

"Ms. Pearce, Mr. St. James, this is my Uncle Willy!"

* * *

In the drawing room, Harmony photographed sculptures while Jesse reviewed his notes.

"Were you, by any chance, playing footsie with me at lunch?" Harmony asked.

"From where I sat?"

"I didn't think your reach was that good. Richard Anderson has a roving eye, and foot."

Harmony put her camera in her bag and started to stroll the room. She looked out a window. "Tennis courts. Those must be the stables. There's sculpture outside, too – I'm pretty sure that's a Rodin." She mused, "Would I trade places with Sugar Motta or Blaine Anderson for all their wealth and status? Just ask me!"

Jesse shut off his phone and complied. "Alright, I will. Would you trade places with Sugar Motta or Blaine Anderson for all their wealth and status?"

Harmony laughed, "Well I can't help thinking about it!"

Jesse scoffed and began to dance around the sculptures and paintings, singing (youtubeDOTcom/watch?v=YG6UllZwj9c)

_[Jesse] Who wants to be a millionaire?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Jesse] Have flashy flunkies ev'rywhere?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Jesse] Who wants the bother of a country estate?_

_[Harmony] A country estate is something I'd hate!_

_[Jesse] Who wants to wallow in champagne?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Jesse] Who wants a supersonic plane?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Jesse] Who wants a marble swimming pool too?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Both] And I don't 'Cause all I want is you._

_[Jesse] Who wants to be a millionaire?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Jesse] And have uranium to spare?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Jesse] Who wants to journey on a gigantic yacht?_

_[Harmony] Do I want a yacht? Oh, how I do not! Who wants a fancy foreign car?_

_[Jesse] I don't._

_[Harmony] Who wants to tire of caviar?_

_[Jesse] I don't._

_[Harmony] Who wants a private landing field too?_

_[Jesse] I don't._

_[Both] And I don't. 'Cause all I want is you._

_[Jesse] Who wants to be a millionaire?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Jesse] And go to every swell affair?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Jesse] Who wants to ride behind a liv'ried chauffeur?_

_[Harmony] A liv'ried chauffeur Do I want? No sir!_

_[Jesse] Who wants an opera box, I'll bet?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Jesse] And sleep through Wagner at the Met?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Jesse] Who wants to corner Cartier's too?_

_[Harmony] I don't._

_[Both] And I don't,__'Cause all I want is you._

The butler appeared, Jesse and Harmony scrambled off the horse sculpture and dashed from the room, laughing raucously.

* * *

Blaine sat at the Motta piano, picking out chords.

"Composing?" Sebastian appeared, rolling several large gift wrapped boxes on the bar cart from home.

"Don't you ever come in the front door?" Blaine looked over his shoulder, frustrated.

"With connecting back lawns, it never made sense for us to come any other way. And Sugar could never come fast enough to play the part of the daughter my mother never had," Sebastian said with some bitterness.

"And what are you up to now?" Blaine looked out the window.

"Brought your wedding present."

"Wouldn't it have been simpler to have one of your many servants send it over?" Blaine said, still avoiding his gaze.

Sebastian's tone was calm as he parked the cart. "Oh no, whoever brought it could never say what I want to say."

"Haven't you said enough?" Blaine looked at the black and white keys, his tone devoid of emotion.

"That doesn't appear to be the case," Sebastian leaned on the piano, admiring Blaine's profile. "I hoped you would have thought about what I said this morning. Not for my sake, but for yours." He spoke softly. "You'll stand a better chance for happiness."

Blaine looked at him coolly. "Thank you. I'll manage."

Sebastian looked thoughtful. "Oh you will, you'll manage alright. You'll manage your children to be perfect too, I bet. And Kurt will manage all of you. Heaven help any of you if you show any signs of weakness, rebellion, or god forbid make a mistake and hurt him again."

"Are you finished yet, Sebastian?" Blaine looked exhausted as he closed the lid of the piano with a thud.

Sebastian sat down on the nearby sofa, hands behind his head. "You know I tried hard to figure it out. Cooper is nothing like you. I finally decided that your father hurt you deeply when he didn't know what to do with your sexuality."

"Please," Blaine protested, flinching.

"So you started carving out perfection. Your life was going to be perfect in every other way, since you felt defective in the eyes of your Dad. So when Kurt started falling off his pedestal in New York, you were really thrown that he could be so imperfect. It sent you in a tailspin. It also highlighted how much you had made your perfect life around him. But now everything seems better now, doesn't it? He's such a god that he's even forgiven you, and you can both climb back up together on that pedestal like the chiseled, Greek gods that you are."

"Stop it, Bas."

"It's a real pity too, Blaine, because you could be a completely wonderful man if you would just, just let your bowtie slip a little. But you'll never be a wonderful man or even a wonderful human being until you learn to have some regard for human frailty -especially your own."

Sebastian stood up.

"Is that all you have to say?" Blaine stared out the window.

"No…I wanted to say that I never knew I could care about someone as much I care about you. You always make me…better. And I never want to stop taking care of you. So call me if you ever need me again. Good luck, Killer."

Sebastian walked out the glass doors and swiftly across the garden.

Blaine leaned on the piano, covering his face and rubbing his eyes.

As he got up, the cart of gift boxes caught his eye and he slowly opened one up to reveal several large, handsome custom leather bound volumes housing a collection of expensive sheet music – Gershwin's entire catalogue…Sondheim, Billy Joel, Elton John, Queen, Carole King, and those were just in the first few boxes Blaine opened.

The carefully casual note said:

"Blaine, I know how much you love writing music, and I figured you can never get enough inspiration from the classics. Plus you both need proper music for accompaniment since you won't have Brad on hand anymore. You'll find inside my current favorite, Jason Mraz. I would have included Katy Perry for you and Madonna for Kurt, but I figured you have both of their catalogues already. The first one you have to play is in the Miscellaneous Pop volume."

Blaine shouldn't have been surprised by the first song in the volume. It was the only duet Sebastian and Blaine had ever sung together. They performed it one night at the sketchy piano bar Sam had dragged him to back in November shortly after his disastrous encounter with Kurt at the McKinley Grease performance. Sebastian, Nick, Jeff, David, Trent, Artie, Joe and Mike (especially asked back by Sam) came out in force to rally around Blaine. Despite much urging, Blaine couldn't even bring himself to drink too much – enough to take some of the edge off, but not enough to become his usual overly romantic drunk self.

The other boys drank, leaning around the piano in groups all night, singing lustily with no concern for pitchiness or abusing their already alcohol inflamed throats. When the piano player took a break, Blaine talked the manager into letting him play. He sang an Elton John tune, then said, "Does anyone know Rachel Fuller? 'Wonderland' works best as a duet."

Sebastian stood up and smirked. "This song is so perfect for us, Killer. I'm certainly the box in the corner with a note that says 'eat me', yes?"

Blaine laughed and made room for him on the piano bench to share the microphone. To his surprise, Sebastian nudged him over more to play the bass line.

_[from playDOTspotifyDOTcom/album/0ZEAcob9ZxFDdnQIHzp1Zo] _

_[Blaine]  
There's a little box in the corner  
Wrapped nicely to entice you and draw you in_

_[Sebastian]  
There's a note saying "Eat me"  
And against your better judgment  
You have to look inside  
But before you walk away  
Won't you take me in  
Won't you hear me when I say_

_I will hold you, I will catch you_  
_When you feel like you're falling_  
_When you feel like you're falling_

_[Both]  
And I'll be near you, I will hear you  
When you are calling  
When you are calling_

_[Sebastian]  
There's a bottle on the table with a label saying "drink me"  
Will you cross the line  
And you know you've been here a thousand times before intoxicated on the floor  
Will you reach back for more_

_[Blaine]_  
_Cause pretty labels, pretty eyes_  
_Will always hypnotize_  
_Will you hear me when I say_

_[Both]  
I will hold you, I will catch you  
When you feel like you're falling  
When you feel like you're falling  
And I'll be near you, I will hear you  
When you are calling_

_[Sebastian]  
Eat me, drink me, win me, lose me  
Either way you have to choose me_

_[Blaine]_  
_Eat me, drink me, love me, hate me_  
_Either way you can't escape me_

_[Both]  
I will hold you, I will catch you  
When you feel like you're falling  
When you feel like you're falling  
I'll be near you, I will hear you  
When you are calling  
When you are calling_

_I will hold you, I will catch you  
When you feel like you're falling  
When you feel like you're falling  
And I'll be near you, I will hear you  
When you are calling  
When you are calling_

_I will hold you, I will catch you  
When you feel like you're falling  
When you feel like you're falling  
And I'll be near you, I will hear you  
When you are calling  
When you are calling_

They finished, smiling and twinkling. But Sebastian took one look at the questioning eyes of Mike, Sam and Nick and got up quickly for another drink. Blaine started "Piano Man" and had the entire room singing along in no time.

Blaine eyes glistened as he took the music and played a few bars on the piano, remembering the look on Sebastian's face that night. He had never seen him look so…real.

"Blaine? Blaine?" Kurt was in the doorway.

Blaine started. "Oh, I was…"

"I know, daydreaming. About when you're a great composer," Kurt smiled, turned to the boxes and started flipping through music. "What's all this?"

"Wedding present from Sebastian." Blaine answered. "He got us like everything we'll ever need."

"Well not EVERYTHING," Kurt cocked his head.

Blaine said, "Kurt, YOU'RE everything I'll ever need."

Kurt said fondly, "And you're my perfect man, Blaine. That's the wonderful thing. You're stronger than ever after everything that happened between us. I know you'll be there for me no matter what and never ever hurt me again. You're the perfect husband."

Blaine looked slightly troubled. "Well no one's perfect…"

"Oh, you know what I mean," Kurt gave him a peck.

"I love you," Blaine said.

"I love you, too." Kurt kissed him again.

Mrs. and Mrs. Anderson walked in and Kurt went over to them. "Mr. Anderson, I wanted to thank you for accommodating those reporters who are here. They won't be asking you any questions and I told them that you are not to be in any photos."

Mr. Anderson nodded grimly and Mrs. Anderson said quickly, "Kurt, the seating chart is ready for you to review in the library."

"Wonderful! I'll see you later, Blaine!" Kurt exclaimed, hurrying out.

Mr. Anderson said to his wife, "I have a feeling that Kurt is going to take that ring tomorrow and go right through center with it."

Mrs. Anderson laughed.

Blaine looked over at his father with a sigh. "Dad, what is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing!" Mr. Anderson raised his hands. "What, I can't make a football joke because Kurt hates football?"

Blaine said with exasperation, "Why is it such a crime that Kurt doesn't like sports?"

Mr. Anderson sounded ominous. "I never said that, young man – and don't take that tone with me. Especially after you and your brother tried to pass me off as your Uncle Willy."

"That was Cooper's idea! I had nothing to do with it!"

"And whose idea was it to have reporters here?"

"Dad, they aren't from the Wall Street Journal, they are 20 year old stringers for – the THIRD most read website of theatre nerds."

"So you're saying that our family will be featured in a cut rate publication?"

"What do you want me to say Dad? I'll say it." Blaine said with frustration.

"Please stop it, you two," Mrs. Anderson begged.

"I'm sorry mom, but I'm just fascinated by the fact that Dad's has never had a single question about my wedding until today, when his precious reputation might be tainted by a blog post."

Mr. Anderson spoke again. "Blaine, even if you were marrying a woman I would have zero interest in helping you plan a wedding."

Blaine exploded, "Who said this had anything to do with my being gay?"

Mr. Anderson was silenced by this.

"It doesn't darling," Mrs. Anderson tried to explain, "he just didn't want you to think…"

Blaine said sarcastically, "Why would I think Dad would have an objection to my marrying Kurt? Just because he hasn't been able to accept that I'm gay since I came out to you FIVE years ago?"

Mr. Anderson looked weary. "I've accepted that you're gay, Blaine. I've told you that on several occasions. Maybe I haven't expressed that in a way that is believable to you, but I'm not the effusive kind and you are aware of that. I don't know how else to tell you. Not everyone can be a perfect father like Burt Hummel. It's naïve at best and dim-witted at worst, to expect perfection in others, Blaine. I'm no more god-like than you are."

"I'm expecting perfection? And where do you think I learned that from?" Blaine said quietly.

"Ah, there it is. I was wondering how you could get through high school without you going through a rebellious phase." Mr. Anderson said darkly.

"Enough!" Mrs. Anderson interrupted.

"I'm afraid I haven't said enough," Mr. Anderson said.

Mrs. Anderson touched Blaine's shoulder. "Darling, your father didn't mean that. Neither one of you means it," she said, looking at each of them in turn."Blaine dear, your father just didn't know how to be with you when you came out - you have to understand how HE was raised..."

Father and son looked in opposite directions. "Both of you seem to forget that in striking out at each other, you hurt others besides yourself." Mrs. Anderson slowly walked out of the room.

Mr. Anderson looked at Blaine, who continued to look out the window. He listened for his father's footsteps out of the room before he let the tears spring to his eyes.

There didn't seem to be anything else to do but pour himself a scotch.

* * *

Jesse was walking the grounds when he heard the screech of tires and brakes behind him. Blaine climbed out, leaving the driver's door open on the convertible Mini-Cooper.

"Nice ride," Jesse remarked.

"It's Cooper's. Get in. And drive," Blaine ordered with fire in his eye.

Jesse got in, looking intrigued. "Why did you think I would drive you?"

"I saw the way you were checking me out earlier," Blaine jumped in the passenger side, ignoring the door.

Jesse laughed.

They drove for several minutes in silence, Blaine dictating where to turn. "Are you learning anything about the idle rich?" Blaine asked suddenly, alcohol thick in his voice.

"Yeah, that they drink a lot. Where are we headed, anyway?"

"To the boxing gym. Unless you'd like to volunteer to be my punching bag. Why don't you write about that."

Jesse arched an eyebrow and stepped on the gas. "You've got a chip on your shoulder about me, why?"

"Because you came here to stir up trouble," Blaine retorted.

"Now what makes you think that?" Jesse asked, eyes wide.

"'May I suggest that you and Kurt look at one another, you know, to bookend…the frame'?" Blaine mocked. "A love triangle will get you at least 19 more page views, yes?" He sneered. "You people disgust me, making a living off of people's personal lives and misfortunes."

"I cannot pick and choose," Jesse responded airily.

"Oh, you can be anything you want to. But you'll never be a first class writer or a first class human being until you learn to have some compassion or regard for human…" Blaine stopped himself.

"You were saying?"

"Nothing."

"Okay…Jesse stopped at a traffic light and clicked on his voice recorder. "So tell me what do you do in your spare time?"

"I sometimes endure asshole reporters."

"That's some mouth on you, Mr. Anderson. Can we keep this on an impersonal basis?"

"Shall we just continue to the gym so I can get my full workout, Mr. St. James?"

"Gladly, Mr. Anderson – just without the full treatment."

Jesse and Blaine drove for several minutes more and pulled up to a country club with statues on the lawn and a water fountain in the courtyard in front.

"There's a boxing gym in here?"

"Clearly you haven't been going to the right country clubs," Blaine responded, grabbing his bag out of the trunk.

Jesse followed him into the club. Blaine nodded to the front desk and they passed two ice sculptures, three flower arches, and crowd of staff preparing for an evening wedding.

Blaine grabbed a bottle of champagne from a case and two glasses on the way to a back room with a boxing ring in one corner and a few punching bags in another.

"Gatorade usually works better," Jesse said.

Blaine donned his glove and began to slug at the bag. "Are you…getting…an interesting…story…on us…Mr….St. James?" he huffed out between punches.

Jesse purred, "Why can't you just break down and just call me Jesse?"

Blaine continued to slam into the bag. "Oh…I couldn't…possibly…break…down…I was...raised…to be…perfect," he panted.

"You know I get the feeling that something's bothering you, and I'm getting clobbered for it,"Jesse remarked. "You're a handsome, young, talented guy with presumably the world at your feet, but instead you have a chip on your shoulder."

Blaine stopped punching to smile bitterly. "You think I'm handsome, like a marble Greek God on a pedestal?"

Jesse frowned. "I don't get you."

Blaine leaned against the wall and looked away. "When you write your story about us Mr. St. James, why don't you compare me to one of those ice sculptures out there. Perfect, icy and unyielding."

"Mr. Anderson, maybe you can leave the metaphors to me."

Blaine heaved a sigh, unable to maintain his anger. He threw his gloves to the floor, grabbed the champagne bottle and began to open it. "The truth is," Blaine said remorsefully, "I think I'm an misshapen glacier now. I've been in the icebox too long."

Jesse playfully chucked Blaine under the chin and pulled him by the hand out to hallway. "Buck up, little glacier! Just grab a blow torch! Turn up the heat! Melt away the ice and let's see what's underneath!"

Blaine softened more and smiled in spite of himself as he poured their glasses at a counter.

_[adapted from youtubeDOTcom/watch?v=Z14r-Twaswk]_

Jesse crooned, looking in Blaine's eyes:

"_I've no proof__  
__When people say.. you're more or less aloof,__  
__But you're sensational."_

Blaine blushed and emptied his glass down his throat.

Jesse said, "You like Sinatra, eh?" He smiled coyly and continued:

"_I don't care__  
__If you are called "The Fair Sir Frigidaire,"_

Blaine turned and looked at him.

"_'Cause you're sensational.__  
__Making love is quite an art,__  
__What you require is the proper squire__  
__To fire your heart,__  
__And if you say__  
__That one fine day you'll let me come to call,__  
_

Jesse leaned forward over the counter, but Blaine turned shy.

_We'll have a ball,__  
__'Cause you're sensational,__  
__Sensational,__  
__That's all, that's all, that's all._

Jesse locked eyes with Blaine again.

Blaine turned away and tried to pour more champagne in Jesse's glass, but Jesse covered it with his hand. Blaine poured more in his own glass instead.

_Making love is quite an art,__  
__What you require is the proper squire__  
__To fire your heart,__  
__And if you say__  
__That one fine day you'll let me come to call,__  
__We'll have a ball,_

Blaine downed his glass. Jesse took his hand and leaned to kissing distance.

_'Cause you're sensational,__  
__Sensational,__  
__That's all, that's all, that's all._

Blaine looked at Jesse's face, searching. Then he left the room quickly.


	3. Chapter 3

"What are you two up to?" Wes asked, as Trent and Jeff came through the massive front doors of the Smythe home looking mischievous.

"We just saw some hot guy drop Blaine off," Jeff said, waggling his blond eyebrows.

Trent said excitedly, "I don't think they saw us, and they certainly didn't look like they wanted to be seen!"

"Who the heck could that have been?" Wes furrowed his brow.

Nick drawled in his best southern accent, "What goes on here? There's a Dark Horse in this here race, and my boy is running a slow third!"

"Where is your boy, anyway?" Wes asked.

Nick became more serious. "Actually, I don't know. Has anyone seen him since he left to bring Blaine his wedding gift?"

David said, "I saw him. I don't think he saw me though, he walked past me like he was in a trance and headed upstairs."

"I'll go get him so we can rehearse the second set," Jeff offered, starting up the stairs.

Trent added, "Yeah, maybe singing will get his mind off of Blaine."

"No," Nick said definitively. "Give him some space."

Wes said, "Maybe we can give him a little inspiration…David?"

_[David sang, with the rest on backing vocals, from youtubeDOTcom/watch?v=ax6XhmbHU7k]_

BA DA DA DA  
BA DA DA DA  
BA DA DA DA  
BA DA DA DA

_BA DA DA DA  
BA DA DA DA  
BA DA DA DA  
BA DA DA DA_

_Looking from a window above  
It's like a story of love, can you hear me?  
Came back only yesterday  
We're moving further away, want you near me_

_All I needed was the love you gave  
All I needed for another day  
And all I ever knew, only you_

Sebastian got up from his bed, looking thoughtful and a shade melancholy. He slowly began to get dressed into his tuxedo, singing and surrendering to the memories running through his head as he looked out the window towards the Motta home:

_[Sebastian and David]_  
_Sometimes when I think of your name_  
_When it's only a game and I need you_  
_Listening to the words that you say_

_It's getting harder to stay when I see you_  
_All I needed was the love you gave  
All I needed for another day  
And all I ever knew, only you_

Across the way in the Motta garden, Blaine leaned against a tree, listening.

_All I needed was the love you gave  
All I needed for another day  
And all I ever knew, only you_

_This is gonna take a long time  
And I wonder what's mine, can't take no more  
Wonder if you'll understand  
It's just the touch of your hand behind the closed door_

_All I needed was the love you gave  
All I needed for another day  
And all I ever knew, only you_

Blaine turned as he heard Cooper come up behind him, saying gently, "They're in fine form. Is that Sebastian singing lead?"

"I think so, there were two voices and it's hard to tell from this distance," Blaine sounded almost wistful.

"You should go find out," Cooper said quietly. "You should go figure it out."

"I know what you're trying to get at, Coop," Blaine said in annoyance. "What is there to figure out? I love Kurt, and Sebastian thinks I'm an overachieving perfectionist control freak and you know what he thinks of Kurt."

"That's not what he told me," Cooper said.

"What?"

Cooper looked earnest, for once. "Ok, he and I have had a laugh or two about your Martha Stewart tendencies, but come on, Blaine – he doesn't think you're a freak. He's so far gone over you – you and your whole fussy package." Cooper laughed. "And he did tell me that he thinks Kurt…has character. He even brought up Kurt's whole prom queen story."

Blaine's eyes were wide. "But he told me he came specifically to try to break up this wedding." He sighed. "Sebastian is so…confusing."

"Like I said, go figure it out."

Blaine still hesitated.

Cooper pushed him gently by the shoulders. "Just go." He's a friend of yours, right? He was there for you when your other friend died. Before the party and the wedding and the whole extravaganza hits, go clear things up, for both of you."

Blaine walked slowly towards the Warbler voices.

By the time Blaine reached the Smythe home, the Warblers were finishing their set. He looked at the group, confused. "Oh, Sebastian isn't rehearsing with you guys? I thought I heard…"

"I think he's upstairs in his room, he was singing from up there, if you can believe it," Nick laughed. "The gall of that guy…I swear if we weren't staying under his roof…"

"You'd kick him out, I know." Blaine chuckled.

The other Warblers were scattering. Jeff said, "We're headed out for dinner, the limo company should be here any minute. Want to join us?"

"No thanks," Blaine said, looking at Nick meaningfully. "I…"

"That's right," Nick said quickly. "Blaine and I are going to grab dinner here and catch up."

The rest of the Warblers drifted out.

Nick said casually, "Hey Blaine, I'm going to fix us some sandwiches. Why don't you go up and see if Sebastian wants to join us?"

Blaine slowly climbed the stairs. Just as he reached Sebastian's door, he heard a piano. Or at least he thought it was a piano. He didn't know there was a piano on the second floor, given there was a full sized grand downstairs.

Not wanting to interrupt, he turned back towards the stairs but was stopped by Sebastian's singing:

_[from youtubeDOTcom/watch?v=HNRrPLyTy_s]_

"Let me catch my breath.  
This is really hard.  
If I start to look like I'm sweating…well,  
That's 'cause I am…"

Blaine couldn't resist pushing the door, already open a crack, a bit more open. There was Sebastian, at an antique-looking upright piano in a small room adjoining his bedroom lined with shelves of sheet music, CDs and odd bits of equipment.

"_I'm not good with words.  
But that's nothing new.  
Still I have to try  
To explain what I want to do  
With you. With you..._

Run away with me.

_Let me be your ride out of town.  
Let me be the place that you hide.  
We can make our lives on the go.  
Run away with me.  
Texas in the summer is cool.  
We'll be on the road like Jack Kerouac  
Looking back.  
Blaine, you're ready let's go  
Anywhere.  
Get the car packed and throw me the key  
Run away with me._

_Blaine I know it's fast.  
I'm in love with you.  
Blaine it's crazy but  
Blaine I'm crazier for you.  
I have these plans, Blaine I have these plans  
Of a house that we build on a bay when we run away._

_Let me be your ride out of town.  
Let me be the place that you hide.  
We can make our lives on the go.  
Run away with me.  
Alabama heat sign me up.  
We'll be on the road like some country song  
Won't be long.  
Blaine we're ready let's go…  
Anywhere.  
Get the car packed and throw me the key.  
Runaway with me._

_I'm not trying to make you a wife here.  
I'm not trying to tie you down.  
I'm just saying there might be a life here.  
A new one as soon as we run.  
Just as soon as we run.  
Run away..."_

_Let me be your ride out of town.  
Let me be the place that you hide.  
We can make our lives on the go.  
Run away with me."  
Mississippi mud, watch me slide.  
We'll be on the road like Jack Kerouac  
Looking back  
Blaine you're ready, Blaine._

Sebastian was dressed in his tuxedo except for an untied bowtie hanging around his neck. Blaine clenched his fists as his fingers itched to tie it for him. His eyes flooded with tears and he hurried down the stairs.

_Let me be your ride.  
Run away with me.  
California dreams here we come.  
Romeo is calling for Juliet.  
Ready set.  
Blaine we're ready let's go  
Anywhere.  
Say the word and I'm already there._

_Run away with me."_

"We might have won more trophies if we had the sense to have you sing a showtune," Nick commented as he pushed open the door.

Sebastian rested his forehead on his arm across the piano. "If you tell anyone what you just heard, I will hurt you in ways you didn't know existed."

"Mum's the word," Nick promised.

"I thought you guys all went to dinner," Sebastian said, looking up and composing himself.

"I stayed behind because…" Nick hesitated.

Sebastian sat up straighter and glared at him. "I don't need to be babysat, Duvall."

"Oh shove it, Sebastian." Nick sat down on the bed. "The bachelor party is tonight. The wedding is tomorrow. He's still oblivious. It's ok to talk about how much it sucks."

"Fine, it sucks." Sebastian shut the lid on the piano too hard, anger rising. "Are you happy? What good does it do to talk about it? He's still going to be a grossly inappropriate role model of teen marriage to every adolescent gay he meets for the rest of his life."

Sebastian stood up and began to pace the floor, gaining momentum. "He's still going to marry Gay-faced Hummel who will spend the rest of his life dictating where they live (New York, for Kurt and Vogue and Broadway); which parts he can audition for (Tony or any other role where Kurt has tanked TWO auditions for)…even what he wears. Cooper says he used to expose his collarbone before Kurt, if you can believe it."

Blaine stopped by the garden bench under Sebastian's window and listened, almost holding his breath.

Nick said kindly, "Now Seb, Kurt didn't exactly dictate…"

"Whatever, you know what I mean. I'm not exactly being my most precise or logical right now. You have to agree that I'm illustrating an overarching power dynamic in that relationship." Sebastian ran his fingers through his hair.

"Oh fuck, what's the point of analyzing all of this? He's going to marry Mr. NYADA, who never appreciated him the way I…" he cut himself off, "the way he should be appreciated. Ignoring his calls? Not even calling on his election night? Who helped Blaine with his NYADA essays and his scholarship essays? Tina and me. Blaine held his hand during Hummel's entire senior year, and what does Pasty-Face do in return? Ignores him. They dated for over a year, how could he not know how isolated Blaine is at home with Cooper gone, and how incredibly alone he would feel left back at that trashy public school in this po-dunk state we live in?"

Sebastian was shouting now. "And do you know what he said to Blaine once? He called him an "alpha-gay" and said 'do you know how many times I've had to sit on a stool and watch you perform?' For fuck's sake, _I_ am absurdly proud when I watch him perform and I'm not even his boyfriend! How insecure can Hummel be, to be jealous of his own goddamned boyfriend?!"

Blaine sat down shakily on the bench under the window and leaned his head on his hands as the bad memories rushed back.

"Breathe, Seb…you're getting a little irrational again." Nick tried to calm him down. "And he could have apologized for all that…"

"I highly doubt it, Blaine has told me every redeeming thing about Hummel, believe me." Sebastian shot back. "He just goes on and on and about how grateful he is that Kurt forgave HIM.

"And that's how it is with them. He lets Hummel walk all over him! He could have NOT transferred to McKinley, he could have applied to more than just NYADA. And while I find Hummel's imperious attitude insufferable, he feeds right into it. Kurt is blameless in everything, perfect in every way. How can I compete with that?"

Blaine lifted his head from his hands as Nick asked a good question. "Compete? Are you sure this isn't just about winning? If you can't stand how Blaine acts with Kurt, why are you so hung up on him? Why don't you just drop all this and be happy about the hundreds of hot guys you are going to meet in college? You're going to school near San Francisco, for goodness' sake!"

Sebastian threw his hands in the air, and then sighed, starting to deflate. "Because he doesn't act that way with me. He lets me spoil him with coffees and come-ons and compliments. He argues with me when I'm being an asshole, he doesn't let me walk all over him." He paused, eyes very bright green. "And believe me, if I could have shaken…THIS… months ago, I would have. I can't even get myself to go to Scandals anymore. This whole year and a half since I met him has been ridiculous – I was never interested in having a boyfriend. I don't CRUSH on guys, guys crush on me. He dresses like a grandpa. I don't know why…how…" he spluttered and shook with frustration.

"Because it's Blaine," Nick looked at him in sympathy. "He's adorable, he lights up a room. He can sing with soul one minute and with ethereal beauty the next…"

"And he's superhot, but he doesn't even think that he's that hot." Sebastian paced the floor, less and less angry. "And he's smarter than even most of the nerds around Dalton, but he's not snotty about that, either. And he writes incredible music. And he is like the only guy I've ever met who can keep up with me in an ethical or political discussion."

Blaine warmed at the praise, but grew increasingly anxious.

"You have ethics?" Nick joked, trying to further placate him. Sebastian was looking out the window and continued anyway. "And he'll text you because he remembers that you're going to get into it with your dad that night or when he knows you have a monster paper due. Did you know he edited a video for Sam Evans of his friends saying nice things about him after he bombed his SATs? And you should have heard him go on about Finn Hudson – I never heard anyone so heartbroken and they weren't even that close. And did you know he still just randomly sends flowers to Tina "just because," on top of organizing that Beatles serenade to fix her up on a prom date? All this after she went hag-wild on him?"

Blaine smiled in spite of himself at the turn of phrase.

Nick remarked thoughtfully, "Yeah, I heard about that - and even if it was just a really sad act on her part, it's impressive he forgave her, most guys would have flipped out and ditched their friendship." He paused, searching for a phrase. "They say...they say the ability to forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love."

"He even forgave me," Sebastian said quietly. "Even after he got the shit kicked out of him, he not only picked himself up and got himself together, but he made himself a legend at Dalton. Who else would the headmaster let take over the main building for a proposal? He even taught himself to box (which he looks sexier than fuck doing, by the way), took baby-Kurt under his wing, and stood up to Karofsky. And to top that off he then friggin' threw himself in front of Hummel to protect him from his prick of a so-called-friend who was so stupid that he didn't think that the rock salt might miss the clothes and get in someone's eye."

"We all should have thought of that," Nick pointed out.

"After ALL of that, and he still somehow forgave me. He sees things in people others don't. He gives me specific reasons why he loves every last one of those McKinley misfits, shows me a side of them you don't see at first glance. Heck, he even finds a way to love that narcissistic, insecure brother of his. He…" Sebastian's voice was quieter again. "He even finds a way to love me."

Blaine's eyes flooded with tears.

"I tried to slushie his boyfriend with rock salt, blackmailed Rachel, I'm an arrogant jerk and take probably unmerited pride in it – and yet he has love for me. He doesn't focus on all that shit, he…"

"He appreciates you," Nick finished for him. "Just like you appreciate him even with the bowties and the naivete and the people pleaser tendencies. But what now? Are you going to sweep him off his feet and runaway with him, just like the song says?"

Sebastian said acidly, "Yes, because that's just what Blaine needs. Yeah, if this selfish son-of-a-bitch got what he wanted, I would tie him up with one of those bowties, throw him in my car and we would runaway and live in a house on the bay in San Francisco and he would cook for me and feed me and sing with me and have sex with me after class everyday, and we'd dance all night and have more sex til dawn."

"When would you sleep?" Nick asked, laughing.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Oh shut up, you know what I mean. Blaine can't be tied down in some domestic fantasy in San Francisco with me or sucked into a marital Vogue vortex at NYADA. He should be composing and singing and acting in musicals in music school at USC with you or at the University of Michigan with Jeff or something. Or whatever he wants to do. Hell, maybe he'll want to drag Sam to London and start a band or busk playing guitar while Sam sells macaroni art on the street."

Nick burst out laughing, and Blaine had to smile little bit.

"Whatever he wants to do. All I know is that he shouldn't be married. None of us should – not even Hummel. We're 18, we shouldn't start out this young living a life where we feel legally obligated to take someone else's life into consideration at almost every step."

Nick pondered Sebastian's arguments. "My parents got married at 22 and they're still together. But even putting all of that aside, I've never been sure Kurt is the right one for him. They are almost too alike in some ways. More like best friends than lovers. But I don't know, it's hard to judge from the outside."

"I know not every single young marriage ends badly, but I know Blaine's would, whether to Hummel or me or anyone else." Sebastian rubbed his eyes in frustration. "Right now, he loves…too much. He loses himself."

"He loves people so much…but that's kinda one of the best things about Blaine," Nick said.

"It is," Sebastian said. "We all have our baggage, and of course Blaine has the most noble flaw you can have - to love others too much. But part of growing up is learning how to take care of yourself, right? And don't get me wrong. I wouldn't want him to become a selfish bastard like me."

"You don't seem so selfish to me," Nick said softly, "at least about the important stuff."

Blaine wiped his eyes again on his sleeve and stood up.

Sebastian took a deep breath, turned from the window and said, "I'm hungry, Duvall – if you're going to make me endure your therapy sessions, you can at least make me a sandwich."

Blaine waited for them to head down stairs before he ran across the lawn.


	4. Chapter 4

The Smythe entry hall was filled with guests in tuxedos and evening gowns and cocktail dresses dancing to a jazz orchestra. Most of the New Directions and Warblers looked slightly uncomfortable amongst all the older relatives and society friends of the Andersons. They focused on drinking sparkling cider and passing Puck's flask.

"The Warblers clean up gooood," Tina giggled to Sugar as she tried to catch Jeff's eye. Sugar nodded, winking at Wes and Nick, both of whom smiled in return.

"Oh wait, forget the Warblers, Cooper's here and he doesn't have a date!" squealed Sugar, pointing across the room.

"Oh come on you guys, he's not THAT good looking," complained Sam.

"Oh yes he is," Marley, Kitty, Sugar, Tina, and Unique all said in unison. Artie and Jake rolled their eyes.

Santana grumbled, "What kind of bachelor party is this? We did way better for Kurt in New York with the NYADA crowd."

"We had the real one for Blaine in Vegas weeks ago," answered Sam. "This is all Blaine's parents would allow the night before the wedding. Can you believe it? We can't even dance to real dance music. I was really looking forward to seeing Burt Hummel twerk. Blaine and Kurt won't allow it on the playlist for tomorrow."

Quinn eyed Sebastian's handsome profile and broad shoulders and asked Kitty and Unique, "So we've absolutely confirmed this school year that Sebastian is 100% gay, not even bi?"

Unique threw her shoulders back and replied, "Get back." Quinn gaped as Unique brazenly approached the group of Warblers and Sebastian swung her smoothly into a fox trot around the room. "The girl's got game," Kitty shrugged.

David, emboldened by Unique's behavior, came over to ask Tina to dance. Rachel looked ever so slightly melancholy until Trent came to whirl her off to the music. Nick soon paired up with Mercedes, Jeff with Sugar. Wes and Quinn paired off, though they both looked bored, since they had not exactly hit it off at Yale. Kurt and Blaine came by to say hello between family obligations and Blaine observed, "I guess all those cotillion classes paid off for my Warbler boys!"

Hearing this, Jake and Marley started giving Ryder ballroom dancing lessons on the spot, pointing out some of Blaine's college-aged girl cousins, in from Chicago. Mike and Brittany started teaching Sam and Puck, with little success. Artie decided to whisk a giggling Kitty off in his lap.

Sebastian handed Unique off to Mike and came over to dance with Santana. As he swung her masterfully into the dance, she smiled up at him in spite of herself. "How you holdin' up, Slick?" she asked in a carefully casual tone.

"I don't know what you're referring to, Yeasty. Stop yammering and just dance with me," he said, dipping her until her laugh rang out. "You had better come out to California this year and hit up the city with me. You'll surely scare the hell out of any California losers or slime balls we might run into. You can be like my own Latin mafia bodyguard. Lord knows those San Francisco boys won't be able to keep their hands off of me."

Santana smiled again. "Send me a plane ticket and I'll come, if only to make sure you don't contract any more STDs than you probably already have."

Sebastian quirked an eyebrow. "Oh please, look who's talking." He laughed. "But I can agree to those terms."

Sam bumped into them while tripping over Brittany's feet in an attempt at a two-step.

* * *

Jesse and Harmony stood apart from the scene and observed. "Quite a brawl," Jesse said, downing some champagne.

Harmony observed Sebastian in his tuxedo with Santana in her elegant pale pink gown. "They're pretty, in all their fuss and feathers, I'll give them that much."

Jesse answered, "They're really not a bad bunch when you get to know 'em."

"Oh…you're getting to know them?" Harmony raised an eyebrow.

"Slowly," Jesse said, walking towards the crowd. "It takes a little patience."

Uncle Willy came rushing towards them. "Harmony, Harmony! I've been looking for you!"

She smiled nervously. "Oh, really? I've been here the whole time, Mr. Anderson."

Uncle Willy looked confused. "I beg your pardon? Oh oh, call me Richard."

Jesse sauntered closer to them, "You know Mr. Anderson, your son doesn't resemble you at all. In fact there's an amazing difference."

"Well sure, he resembles his mother," Uncle Willy waved his hand. "And he's still a boy, you could almost say." He leered at Harmony. "And I'm a wicked old man!"

Harmony gave another panic-stricken laugh.

"Oh Willy!" Mrs. Anderson called from nearby on the dance floor. "Sebastian's looking for you."

"Why Mrs. Anderson, you called him Willy!" Harmony said slyly.

"Ms. Pearce," Richard Anderson turned to face her. "There's a misunderstanding here that I would like to clear up. In the first place, _I_ am Richard Anderson."

"Yes, yes…" Uncle Willy chimed in.

Harmony deduced, "And that makes you…"

"Available!" Uncle Willy grinned. "You don't go away, I'll be right back." He headed towards Sebastian and Santana by the stage.

Mr. Anderson stepped forward menacingly towards Jesse. "You are here to cover this wedding, a practice I normally strongly disapprove of. My sons were trying to appease Ms. Berry and the Hummel Family by allowing you to be here without my knowledge. Seeing as you are here already, I will just say this – I will SUE your editor if anything derogatory is printed about any of us. Ok?"

Jesse took another gulp of champagne. "I hope you do!"

There was an awkward silence.

"Mother, MOTHER!" Blaine called out from Kurt's arms at the edge of the dance floor. He was tipsy and his hair was less gelled down than usual. He hugged his mother. "I'm SO glad to see you. Are you having a wonderful time? I am."

Mrs. Anderson looked worried.

Blaine worked his way through the group. "Father!" he chirped. Mr. Anderson looked uncomfortable. Blaine grasped Harmony's arm. "Harmony! Are you having a wonderful time?"

"Wonderful," Harmony answered.

Blaine took Jesse's glass and took a drink from it, cooing, "Jesse, are you having a wonderful time?"

"It's a rager," Jesse smiled at him.

Blaine took a second drink of champagne from Jesse's glass. "That's wonderful."

Blaine gasped, "Kurt!" he spun around to find him. "Shall we dance?"

"We were," Kurt said drily.

"Ooh!" Blaine said as Kurt led him away.

Jesse waved at them and Blaine waved back over Kurt's shoulder.

"Kurt…" Blaine's eyes were closed as they danced cheek to cheek. "Are you having a wonderful time?"

Kurt softened, pulling back to smile and agree, "Mm hm."

"Isn't it a beautiful party?" Blaine grinned.

"Yes, a very nice party, " Kurt said with amusement. "Would you like to uh, sit down, Blaine?"

"Here?" Blaine looked on the floor around them. "Don't be silly, we'd get stepped on!"

Kurt laughed. "Blaine, how much champagne have you had?" His eyes narrowed as he looked over Blaine's shoulder. "I see Sebastian is here talking with Cooper again, that can only mean trouble."

"Oh everybody's here!" Blaine said cheerfully. "Everybody's have a wonderful time. That's nice, isn't it Kurt?"

"Yes, very nice, Blaine," Kurt said patiently. "Very nice."

A drum roll interrupted them. Uncle Willy stepped up on the stage, bowing from the waist to the jazz orchestra conductor. "Thank you very much, that was splendid, that was very nice indeed. Most of you know that Blaine and Kurt competed in two award winning show choirs. We are honored to have most of the members here for the wedding. The lead soloist of Blaine's first school, the Dalton Academy Warblers, is also our host for tonight, Mr. Sebastian Smythe, I'll have him explain more."

"He's introducing Sebastian, who is then introducing us?" Ryder was baffled.

Wes whispered back, "It's a society thing. If you're important, you're always introduced by someone else."

Sebastian strode elegantly onto the stage with a somewhat forced, gracious smile on his face, bowing slightly in welcome. "Gentlefolk of Ohio…when Blaine proposed to Kurt he put together an unprecedented collaboration of the McKinley High New Directions and the Dalton Academy Warblers. On the eve of the wedding, we thought it only appropriate to reunite the two to perform for you. We're singing a song from the Broadway musical, 'Crazy for You.'"

The jazz orchestra filed off the stage, save for one string bassist. The New Directions and Warblers swarmed the stage, to sing acapella (except the bass) and dance [_to this song youtubeDOTcom/watch?v=2goHVKxasEw]_

_[Sebastian]__  
__Zoom - zoom, zoom - zoom,__  
__The world is in a mess.__  
__With politics and taxes__  
__And people grinding axes,__  
__There's no happiness__  
__Zoom - zoom, zoom - zoom,__  
__Rhythm lead your ace!__  
__The future doesn't fret me__  
__If I can only get me__  
__Someone to slap that bass_

_[Artie]__  
__Happiness is not a riddle__  
__When I'm list'ning to that big bass fiddle._

_[Sebastian]__  
__Slap that bass -_

_[Rachel]__  
__Slap it till it's dizzy._

_[Sebastian]__  
__Slap that bass -_

_[Mercedes]__  
__Keep the rhythm busy._

_[Rachel and Mercedes]__  
__Zoom, zoom, zoom -__  
__Misery - You got to go._

_[Sebastian]__  
__Slap that bass -_

_[Tina, Santana, Nick & Jeff]__  
__Use it like a tonic._

_[Sebastian]__  
__Slap that bass -_

_[The Company]__  
__Keep your Philharmonic__  
__Zoom, zoom, zoom -__  
__and the milk and honey will flow!_

_[Sam & Trent]__  
__Dictators would be better off__  
__If they zoom-zoomed now and then;_

_[Wes]__  
__Today you can see that the happiest of men_

_[The Company]__  
__All got rhythm._

_[Rachel & Mercedes]__  
__In which case,__  
__If you want to bubble -_

_[Sebastian]__  
__Slap that bass;__  
__Slap away your trouble._

_[The Company]__  
__Learn to zoom, zoom, zoom -__  
__Slap that bass!_

_Jake, Kitty, Mike and Brittany led the entire group in a dance break.  
Blaine and Kurt stood laughing with delight, and even Mr. Anderson seemed to be enjoying the show._

_[The Company]  
Dictators would be better off__  
__If they zoom-zoomed now and then__  
__Today you can see that the happiest men__  
__All got rhythm__  
__All got rhythm__  
__In which case if you want to bubble__  
__Slap that bass__  
__Slap away your trouble__  
__Learn to zoom zoom zoom__  
__Slap that bass!_

* * *

After many more glasses of champagne, Sebastian and the Warblers' "Glad You Came"; Mercedes' rendition of "The Glory of Love"; Rachel's "Somewhere Only We Know"; David and the Warblers' "Only You"; Cooper's performance of "Fields of Gold"; and a graceful performance of "The Best Things Happen When You're Dancing" by Mike and Brittany, Blaine was still fairly inebriated as the orchestra began to play again.

A tipsy Uncle Willy tapped Kurt on the shoulder. "See here, I'm a progressive bachelor uncle – I want to dance with my nephew."

"Oh do you Uncle Willy? That's nice," Blaine purred.

"You can dance with Kurt for the rest of your life," Uncle Willy said.

"Let's the three of us dance together!" Blaine enthused, throwing his arms around Kurt and Uncle Willy.

"Oh no, no my dear, that just isn't done. Just dancing with your Uncle is progressive enough, " Uncle Willy chided.

Kurt backed away laughing, holding Blaine's champagne glass.

"Are you having a wonderful time, Uncle Willy?" Blaine asked.

"I most certainly am," his uncle replied.

"You know you are my very very favorite uncle," Blaine declared pleasantly.

"Well, I'd be highly complimented if it weren't for the fact that I'm the ONLY uncle you have."

Tears rushed to Blaine's eyes and he held his uncle tighter. "Oh I think that's sad, you're the only uncle I have in the whole world!"

Kurt and Harmony danced by, and Uncle Willy took the opportunity to grab her backside. She jumped, and Uncle Willy winked.

Sebastian took a deep breath and walked over to Blaine and Uncle Willy. "May I?" he asked softly.

"May you what?" Blaine's big eyes went wide.

"Dance with the groom?" Sebastian smiled.

Blaine batted his long eyelashes at him. "You MAY dance with the groom."

Uncle Willy stepped aside with a flourish and Sebastian swung Blaine into a waltz.

"Are you still coming to my wedding, Sebastian?" Blaine asked sweetly.

"No." Sebastian pulled him closer and turned them around gracefully.

"What's the matter, don't you like weddings?"

"Depends on who's getting married," Sebastian said, looking amused at Blaine's curls escaping the gel.

"Then you'll like this wedding." Blaine giggled.

"Not so sure," Sebastian said quietly, gliding them away smoothly.

"You know that was a VERY cute song you sang with everyone," Blaine said. "I should write cute songs like that."

"The Gershwins wrote that song," Sebastian laughed.

"Well I STILL like it," Blaine chuckled.

Sebastian looked at the hazel eyes fondly. "You're really floatin' tonight, aren't you? "

"Really floatin', aren't I?" Blaine repeated. "I'm sensational, everyone says so!"

Sebastian guided them out onto the terrace. Blaine exclaimed, "Oh it got dark all of a sudden!"

"That's because we're outside, you twit!" Sebastian chuckled and let go as Blaine stumbled out of arms to roam a few steps out of his reach and breathe in the night air.

Blaine gurgled, "Oooh, it's too dark out here," and started to head back inside.

Sebastian caught his hand, his green eyes soft. He drew both of Blaine's hands in his. "Since I'm not going to be at the wedding tomorrow, don't I get to kiss the bridegroom?"

"Everyone kisses the bride!" Blaine burbled adorably. "I want everyone to be happy, especially you, Sebastian. You MAY kiss the bridegroom." He offered up his cheek.

Sebastian looked at Blaine, wondering how the hell they had gotten to this moment. "All the happiness in the world, B." he said, leaning in and pressing his cheek against Blaine's before turning his head slowly to kiss it gently.

"BLAINE." Kurt was in the doorway.

Sebastian looked directly into Kurt's eyes with a calm gaze. "Kurt."

Tipsy Blaine just grinned. "Hello, Kurt!"

"Just kissing the bride…that is to say, the bridegroom," Sebastian said seriously, not looking away from Kurt's blue eyes. "You know, the old custom."

"Just kissing the bride, a very old custom!" Blaine chortled.

Kurt looked hurt for a split second, then proud. "Taking advantage of him while he's drunk, huh Sebastian?" he spit out.

Sebastian looked amused. "Yes Kurt, I was going to Vaporape him right here on my mother's terrace."

Kurt glared at him. "You're not fooling anybody. The wedding is tomorrow, and you're not going to block it."

Sebastian smirked. "We've begun the melodrama dinner theatre portion of the evening, have we?"

"Come on, Blaine." Kurt took his giddy fiancé's arm. "You are adorable when you're drunk but you have no boundaries."

Sebastian headed for the bar inside.

"Are we going to dance, Kurt?" Blaine asked.

"No Blaine," Kurt pulled his arm. "I think you ought to sit that cute butt down for a moment. Better yet, lie down and take a nap."

"But I feel fine, I'm sensational!" Blaine protested as Kurt led him away. He sang with drunken sweetness as Kurt pulled his dancing form across the floor to a sitting room.

"_I've no proof  
When people say…I'm more or less aloof,  
But I'm sensational._

"_I don't care  
If I am called "The Fair Sir Frigidaire,"_  
"_'Cause I'm sensational.  
Making love is quite an art,  
What I require is the proper squire  
To fire my heart,  
And if I say  
That one fine day you'll let me come to call,_  
_We'll have a ball,  
'Cause you're sensational,  
Sensational,  
That's all, that's all, that's all._

Kurt managed to get Blaine into the sitting room, shutting the double doors behind them. He tiredly pushed Blaine down on a sofa. "Now I want you to lie down and rest, I'll get back out there to run interference if your family asks about you. And I'll make sure you're not disturbed." Kurt turned for the door.

Blaine pouted. "Kurt, lie down with me."

"Blaine…" Kurt sighed, then came back to sit on the sofa with Blaine, who was lying down with a pillow on his chest. He stroked the curls softly and said, "You know I would love nothing more than to lie down with you, but you have to work with me here – our families are right outside and your mom and dad might freak out if we disappear for awhile."

Blaine whimpered and punched a sofa pillow. Kurt patted his head and left.

* * *

Jesse downed a glass of champagne and watched Harmony and Uncle Willy dancing. Harmony looked desperate. Jesse waved cheerily.

Taking his empty glass, Jesse opened the closest door to him and tiptoed in. He found Sebastian in a giant armchair in the library, drinking scotch and reading a magazine.

Seeing Jesse's empty glass out of the corner of his eye, Sebastian said without looking up, "Look under Harvard Classics. Give Darwin a little nudge." Jesse found the book, lifted the spine, and sure enough the bookcase lifted up like a garage door, revealing a full bar.

Jesse said, "Excellent, exactly what I need. I thought I would pour some more champagne." He slurred, "It's a great leverer … leveler. It makes you my equal."

Sebastian chuckled, "I wouldn't say THAT."

"Well it almost makes you my equal."

Jesse found an open bottle and poured. "Sebastian Smythe, didn't you once know a handsome gentleman named Blaine Devon Anderson?"

"Sounds familiar," murmured Sebastian with amusement.

"No you didn't," Jesse pointed a finger in the air. "If you had really known him," he hiccupped," You'd have never let him get away."

"I never had him," Sebastian said calmly, sipping his scotch.

"Blaine's no ordinary guy," Jesse slurred.

"So I understand," Sebastian answered.

Jesse set his champagne glass down with a thud and pointed his finger at Sebastian. "You are in love with him."

Sebastian finally looked up from his magazine.

"Don't deny it!" Jesse barked.

"I wasn't going to," Sebastian returned serenely.

"No? Does he know this?"

"Yeah, he knows it," Sebastian said evenly.

"Nah, that ain't the way I get it," Jesse said with authority. He began to sing and stagger about the room. Sebastian looked up again and laughed, singing with him and swigging his scotch:

_[Adapted from this song: youtubeDOTcom/watch?v=7kq1JQUhwVQ]_

_JESSE:__  
__I have heard among this clan__  
__You are called a forgotten man_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Is that what they're sayin'?__  
__Well, did you evah!__  
__What a swell party this is!_

_JESSE:__  
__And have you heard the story of__  
__A boy and a BOY! Unrequited love_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Sounds like pure soap opera_

_JESSE:__  
__I may cry_

_SEBASTIAN:  
__Tune in tomorrow  
__What a swell party this is  
__What frills, what frocks__  
_

Jesse walked around the bar to hover over Sebastian's armchair.

_JESSE:__  
__What broads_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__What furs, what rocks_

_JESSE:__  
__They're beautiful_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Why, I've never seen such gaiety_

_JESSE:__  
__Neither did I!_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__It's all just too, too exquis, really_

_JESSE [holding up his glass]:__  
__This French champagne_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Domestic_

_JESSE and SEBASTIAN:__  
__So good for the brain_

_JESSE:__  
__That's what I was gonna say!_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__You know you're a brilliant fellow?_

_JESSE:__  
__Thank you_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Drink up, chap.__  
__Ah, please don't eat that glass, my friend._

_Have you heard about dear Blanche?__  
__Got run down by an avalanche._

_JESSE [sitting down next to Sebastian]:__  
__No!_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Don't worry.__  
__She's a game girl, you know.__  
__Got up and finished fourth._

_JESSE:__  
__The kid's got guts._

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Havin' a nice time?__  
__Grab a line_

_JESSE:__  
__Have you heard that Mimsy Starr_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Oh, what now?_

_JESSE:__  
__She got pinched in the Astor bar_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Sauced again, hey?_

_JESSE:__  
__She was stoned!_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Well, did you evah?_

_JESSE:__  
__Never!_

_JESSE and SEBASTIAN:__  
__What a swell party this is!_

Jesse stood up. "I'm going to have a drink."

Sebastian followed him to the bar. "I may have a bit of the bubbly myself!"

Jesse danced around as Sebastian poured.

_JESSE:__  
__It's great_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Ah, it's great_

_JESSE:__  
__It's grand_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__So grand_

_SEBASTIAN and JESSE:__  
__It's wonderland!_

They change places so Jesse goes behind the bar to pour yet another glass while Sebastian stands in front while crooning

_JESSE: La la la la la la la la, _

_SEBASTIAN: ya da ya da ya da ya da bum bum_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__We sing_

_JESSE:__  
__We sing_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__So rare_

_JESSE__  
__So rare_

_SEBASTIAN and JESSE:__  
__Like old Camembert__  
__Like baba au rhum_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Ba, ba, ba bum!_

_JESSE:__  
__Don't dig that kind of crooning, chum!_

_SEBASTIAN :__  
__You were never a Warbler, fella…_

_SEBASTIAN and JESSE:__  
__Have you heard?__  
__It's in the stars__  
__Next July we collide with Mars__  
__Well, did you evah?__  
__What a swell party, a swell party, a swellegant, elegant party this is!  
__  
[Sebastian and Jesse headed out the double doors to the party arm and arm, only to turn around immediately and make a beeline back to the bar.]_

_SEBASTIAN [as Jesse pours more champagne]:__  
__I drink to your health_

_JESSE:__  
__Nah! Let's drink to your wealth_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__You're my bon ami_

_JESSE:__  
__Hey, that's French!_

_SEBASTIAN:__  
__Liberty!_

_SEBASTIAN and JESSE:__  
__Fraternity!  
[They both down the entire glass]__  
__Have you heard?__  
__It's in the stars__  
__Next July, we collide with Mars.__  
__Well, did you evah?__  
__[They marched in parallel through the library back out the party together and parting ways at the door]  
What a swell party, swell party, swellegant, elegant party this is!_

* * *

Blaine, still in an inebriated state, slowly climbed out the sitting room window onto a garden bench_. _Jesse walked up with his fingers pointed like a gun, poking him in the ribs.

"Ooh!" Blaine squealed. "I hate you!"

"Where do you think you're going?" Jesse slurred.

Blaine replied, "Somewhere to dance."

"But there's dancing in there!"

"I know, but Kurt won't let me," Blaine pouted, "I can't dance because he says my dad won't like it."

"Shhh…" Jesse tittered. "Let's go back to Sugar's."

They tiptoed out to the back lawn.


	5. Chapter 5

Kurt tried to stand casually outside the sitting room doors so Blaine wouldn't make a run for it. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson danced by. Mrs. Anderson called out, "Hello Kurt, where's Blaine?"

Kurt smiled brightly, "Oh, powdering his nose."

10 minutes later, Rachel came up to him. "Where's Blaine?"

"Drunk, so I made him lie down in there," Kurt thumbed behind him at the closed doors and sighed. "I've been standing guard for like 10 minutes!"

Rachel giggled. "He's such a cute drunk! Oh well, let him sleep it off. Come with me! Santana, Mercedes and I found a great spot upstairs to hide if you're tired of making small talk with all the relatives."

Kurt looked momentarily torn.

Rachel stepped back into the crowd, waving him towards her. "We took dessert up there!"

Kurt looked at the sitting room doors, biting his lip.

"If he's been in there 10 minutes, he's asleep. CHEESECAKE!" Rachel beckoned wildly.

Kurt dove into the crowd and followed her across the party and up the stairs.

Rachel led him through Sebastian's room into the adjoining music room. Mercedes was nestled on a pile of cushions they had scattered on the floor, looking through Sebastian's CD collection. Santana was curled on a cushion under the keyboard of the upright piano, her pink skirts spread around her.

"There you are!" Kurt exclaimed. "Where is the cheesecake?"

Champagne was poured and a piece of cheesecake was passed. Rachel and Kurt settled in comfortably, kicking off their shoes.

"So," Rachel asked, "Can you believe you're getting married tomorrow?"

"Honestly, no." Kurt replied, staring at his strawberry.

"I gotta hand it to you Kurt, I would not have the guts to make this kind of leap," Mercedes said admiringly. "I mean it's so grown up of you! You're going to have a HUSBAND!"

Kurt swallowed. "Crazy, huh?"

"What's crazy is that Tweedledee is the only guy you're ever going to have sex with for the rest of your life," Santana remarked, licking her fork.

"Santana!" Rachel reproved.

"It's true!" Santana shrugged.

"Well if I had to choose between only having sex with one person for the rest of my life and not ever finding someone as perfect as Blaine, I'd choose the first one," Mercedes said. "I think you were smart to snag that one before he got away."

Kurt nodded quietly, finishing his slice reaching for another.

Rachel said thoughtfully, "Just think, Finn and I almost got married at exactly Blaine's age…"

The other three grew quiet.

"It's okay you guys," Rachel said with conviction. "We have to be able to start talking about him normally some time." She paused. "Really, it's okay. I actually want to talk about him." She paused again and spoke quickly. "Oh, but we don't have to, this weekend is about Kurt and Blaine!"

Kurt said softly, "Rachel, I've been thinking about Finn a lot this week, too. It's okay."

Santana looked at Rachel. "Do you wish you guys had gotten married?"

Rachel replied, "I was thinking about that today. I have to say no. Not because I didn't want to marry him, period. I just wouldn't have done it at 18." She glanced quickly at Kurt. "That's not to say you and Blaine shouldn't – you guys are a different story entirely."

Kurt nodded again, avoiding her eyes.

Rachel continued. "I mean, I wish that we had stayed together, I think. Well, I don't know, maybe not? It's hard to know what would have happened if we had tried that. It's just my first year at NYADA was so amazing when I look back on it. It's easy to say that now of course – when I was in the thick of it, it was really horrible at times, with Cassie July and all. But now that I have some distance on it, the triumph I have from all that hard work and fighting against my insecurities, the battles with Cassie…it might not have meant as much to me if Finn had been there as my husband or maybe even as my boyfriend, holding my hand and giving me a hug to reassure me at every turn. I wouldn't have the strength and confidence I have now from surviving all that and being so proud of myself for doing it all on my own."

She looked quickly at Kurt again. "Of course you'll be married in your second year at NYADA, so again, your situation is totally different."

"Uh huh," acknowledged Kurt, staring at a metronome on Sebastian's shelf.

Mercedes asked, "Are you saying a husband would have made you weaker?"

"No, absolutely not," Rachel said, "Sorry, maybe I'm not being very clear. I'm just saying that I don't think I would have gotten as much satisfaction from my accomplishment this year if I had been married.

"Finn knew it would be better for us not to be together while I was in school. He knew it." Rachel was lost in thought, her voice choking up a bit. "He was so much stronger and braver about us, about me. I'm so grateful to him for convincing me to surrender."

"Surrender?" asked Mercedes.

Rachel's eyes were faraway, glistening with tears. "I remember it like it was yesterday. He said, 'And you're gonna be a star... Without me. That's how much I love you. You know what we're gonna do? Surrender. I know how hard that is for you because of how hard you hold on to stuff … But we're just gonna sit here and we're just gonna let go and let the universe do its thing and if we're meant to be together, then we're gonna be together. Whether it's in a little shoebox apartment in New York or on the other side of the world. Okay? Will you do that for me? Will you surrender?'

"I hated him for it at first. I hated that he made the decision for us. But now that I have some distance, I think it was such a gift he gave me, breaking our engagement. He gave me faith in life, showed me if I stop holding on so tight, stop trying too hard, that what is meant to happen, will happen. And now look at how my life is all falling into place because of that." She reached out for Mercedes' hand. "I just wish he was with me to enjoy it."

Mercedes answered with a squeeze, "He is."

Santana stared at the wall and wiped away a tear.

Kurt was biting his lip, trying not to think about how similar Blaine and 18 year old Rachel were. "Rachel, there's only one more piece of cheesecake, and I was going to claim it because I'm the groom, but it's all you."

* * *

On the Motta patio, drunken Jesse and Blaine were sprawled on adjacent pieces of expensive teak outdoor furniture.

"Hello," Jesse drawled.

"Hello," Blaine gurgled. "You look lovely."

"I feel lovely." Jesse replied. An old fashioned phone ringtone sounded. "Is that your phone ringing?"

"Yes, it's in my pocket." Blaine said with drunken calm, "It's probably Kurt."

"You can't get married," Jesse argued suddenly.

"Oh no? But I'm going to!" Blaine cackled.

"You're too young."

"Ha ha!" Blaine laughed. "You sound like so many other people, you all say the same things! Sebastian, Coop, Sam, Burt, they all said the same things! Things! Things!"

"Do you think maybe it's a lotta people for a reason? Maybe they might be on to something?!" laughed Jesse.

"The lesbian old lady in the ring shop said not to listen to them!"

"Oh, well then, by all means listen to the lesbian old lady in the ring shop paid by commission!" Jesse said sarcastically.

"You're insulting!" Blaine said with a furrowed brow. "She was so sweet. And if you don't think I'm going to marry beautiful Kurt tomorrow, you come around tomorrow!"

"It's already tomorrow," Jesse pointed out drily.

"Oh," Blaine answered. "So it is." He threw his head back on the cushion and smiled again. "Oh, let's not quarrel, Jesse. What you need is another drink." He picked up a full glass from the end table, and just as Jesse was about to take it from him, Blaine emptied down his own throat.

* * *

Sebastian stood on the edge of the dance floor, starting to feel the effects of the alcohol wear off, but finding distraction watching the highly amusing antics of extremely drunk Trent and Jeff.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harmony duck behind him.

Uncle Willy, a glass of champagne in each hand, approached him. "I can't find Harmony!"

"You know I just saw someone wander out into the garden," Sebastian raised his eyebrows and smiled knowingly.

"Oh you don't say…the little vixen!" Uncle Willy leered and dashed out the patio doors.

Sebastian laughed and shook his head. Harmony crept out from behind the potted tree behind him. Sebastian chuckled at her. "THANK YOU," she said to Sebastian.

"What's the matter, Uncle Willy giving you a little trouble?"

"That man is going to end up on a police reality show, mark my words," Harmony declared, opening her evening bag to touch up her lipstick. "Have you seen Jesse anywhere?"

"No," Sebastian answered, leaning down to examine the heel of his shoe.

"That's funny, he just disappeared over an hour ago."

Kurt stormed up to Sebastian. "Where's Blaine?"

Sebastian looked up, bemused. "This party is really turning into a game of hide and seek!"

"He's disappeared!" Kurt said with a glare.

"Well, call him!" Sebastian cocked his head to the side.

"I did, he's not picking up." Kurt retorted.

"Well, call him again!" Sebastian smirked.

"You are useless," Kurt said, walking away.

"Well, since Jesse's disappeared too, I guess I'll go home." Harmony said with a sigh, snapping her evening bag shut.

Sebastian glanced over at her. "Well, I've turned over a new leaf, so why don't you let me walk you home - then everyone will come look for _us_."

Harmony looked flattered. "Oh, that's the nicest thing I've heard tonight!"

Sebastian offered his arm with a gallant bow. They walked out, arms linked.

* * *

On the Motta terrace, Blaine was dancing on the outdoor coffee table, singing "Bills Bills Bills."

His phone rang again. "You know it's the strangest thing," Blaine murmured. "I keep thinking I hear bells."

"That's the champagne for ya," Jesse responded with a lazy smile. "They are now putting bells in the bubbles."

Blaine grabbed Jesse's hand. "Let's go for a swim in the moonlight."

"I thought you wanted to dance," Jesse said.

"I want to do everything!" Blaine giggled, ditching watch, shoes and socks and running to the swimming pool, Jesse on his heels.

Watching Blaine's backside as they reached the pool house, Jesse spoke with sweet conviction. "Seriously sensational."

Blaine plunked down to sit at the edge of the diving board. "But do you think I am too perfect, statue on a pedestal?" he whined, alcohol still thick in his voice.

Jesse came up behind him, leaning down to kiss his temple. "No, you're made of flesh and blood, that's the fucking unholy surprise of it all."

"Keep talking," Blaine said, with drunken desperation.

"You're sensational," Jesse murmured, kissing his ear.

Blaine batted him away. "You can't kiss me. I won't kiss you! I'm not a cheater! That is what broke Kurt's heart!"

"Oh Blaine," Jesse laughed, "It was worth a try."

"I need more champagne," Blaine bumbled, pushing Jesse out of the way to grab the half empty bottle again and swigged straight from the bottle this time.

Jesse moved aside the sat down again at the edge of the pool next to Blaine. "Ok, you don't want me. But why didn't you live a little before you got engaged and at least date somebody else? Did you date at all when you and Kurt were broken up? How about Sebastian? He's way hot. Or wait, did you two date your junior year? I can't remember if Rachel said…"

"No, Kurt wouldn't let me." Blaine slurred and pouted.

Jesse laughed. "Boyfriends don't usually let their boyfriends date other people. And I guess I'm not surprised. I mean Sebastian said tonight that he's in love with you, but he doesn't really seem like the monogamous, boyfriendy type to me..."

Blaine gulped more champagne and protested too loudly."No no no no, that's the terrible thing! He wants to runaway with me, JUST me, to a house on the bay and cooking and classes and we'd have sex til dawn..."

Jesse roared with laughter, "Mr. Anderson! This is Ohio!"

Blaine whimpered, "I never knew 'Bastian could be so romantic... he never told me that he stopped going to Scandals for me! Have you been to Scandals? I love Scandals!"

"I've been to Scandals…in fact I think I may have actually met Sebastian at Scandals one night, but didn't know it was him..." Jesse smiled thoughtfully. "But I don't understand him. From what I could get out of Rachel, he was a total and complete douche just last year. Now he's in love with you, but then hosts your bachelor party at his house and organizes that Gershwin performance tonight for you and Kurt? The rock-salt slushie, the blackmail, but then he is dancing like an upright gent tonight with all the ladies? Does he have multiple personalities?"

Blaine said with intoxicated authority, "There is more to Mr. Sebastian Smythe than meets the eye. I can guarantee you he was the anonymous donor for the $200,000 Finn Hudson memorial scholarship."

"That just means he's rich and hates publicity," Jesse replied smugly.

"No, he was very moved by my stories of Finn." Blaine rambled on drunkenly. "Really, he's actually very adorable when you get to know him."

Jesse raised his eyebrows. "Adorable?"

"Adorable," Blaine confirmed, draining the bottle. "He's only a jerkwad to protect himself. You gotta meet his asshole father before you can judge Sebastian. I ran into him by accident once and I realized my dad's a pussycat in comparision." Blaine looked slurred, tears coming to his eyes. "You have no idea how hard it is for Sebastian to like, exist! His dad is borderline verbally abusive, wants him to be perfect in everything but Sebastian doesn't give him the satisfaction…he's only perfect at what he wants to be perfect at. He is a douche because he wants to be a douche. He doesn't worry about making everyone happy. HE doesn't try to be perfect at everything," Blaine finished remorsefully. "Not like me."

"That's doesn't make him adorable," Jesse slurred, "That makes him a survivor. And it still makes him a douche, just a more justifiable one."

"No no no no," Blaine protested again. "Adorable! Like a kitten! A 6 foot 2 inch kitten!" He giggled. "He just does it all on the sly so his smooth criminal reputation is protected. Did you know he visits his grandma once a week at her old mansion 45 minutes away, and every time he goes he turns on her old vinyl records for her and waltzes with her?" Blaine's smile was gooey.

Jesse chuckled. "Awww…you LOOOOOOOOOOVE him."

"No I don't!" Blaine yelped. "Well I do, but…but I love KURT!"

"Yada yada yada," said Jesse. "You totally missed the boat, not getting those hips, those arms, that waist, those legs…" he mused.

Blaine covered his ears, "La la la la la la la la la I'm not listening!"

Jesse laughed until tears came to his eyes. "You're the one talking about sex 'til dawn," he gasped.

Both of them were tired, lapsing them into silence for moment. Blaine broke open yet another bottle of champagne and kept drinking.

Jesse finally broke the silence, saying seriously, "Really Blaine, I gotta say that I was surprised when I heard you proposed to Kurt. I mean, you weren't even together for the better part of the school year, right?"

Blaine shut his eyes. "Really, this again?"

"No, I'm not giving you grief," said Jesse. "I'm just genuinely curious. Why didn't you just get back together and date again?"

"Because Kurt is my soulmate!" Blaine shouted. "And I knew if I wanted to get him back, and to stay back with me, I'd have do something bold."

Jesse stared at him. "So you couldn't have just hired a skywriter or something? I'm sorry but proposing because you're terrified of them meeting someone else, because you don't want to lose them? If you're that insecure about them not wanting to stay with you, is that a good start to a marriage?"

He paused and looked at Blaine, whose eyes were closed again. "And tell me, honestly, because I'm looking for my own…how do you know Kurt is your soulmate? How do you know if you've never dated anyone else?"

Blaine squirmed, gulped more champagne and sounded exhausted," Jesse, why are you bugging me about this?! I'm getting married TOMORROW. The guests are all here from all over the country practically, the flowers have been picked, the tuxes have been rented." He smirked proudly, "Like 200 people watched me propose to Kurt in the most epic proposal, like ever! There's no turning back."

Jesse sipped his champagne and grinned wickedly. "From the way I see it, there's turning back in the next 12 hours or so, and then there's turning around with annulment or divorce."

"JESSE!" Blaine huffed.

"What, Sebastian is the only one who can be adorable?" Jesse looked up with innocent, crooked smile.

"You are the worst!" Blaine finally relented, too tired to fight anymore. He stared at the well lit pool. "I'm tired of talking…We should…we should…swim…"

He cannonballed into the pool. Jesse tore off his tuxedo jacket and dove in after him.

* * *

Sebastian and Harmony approached the Motta mansion.

"Well, good night, Ace." Sebastian said, saluting her with a flourish. "I have done my 'turning over a good leaf' good deed of the day.

Harmony smiled and said, "You do this all for Blaine, don't you?"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "My father is a state's attorney, if you're thinking of having Jesse put that soap opera trash in your blog."

"Please, do you gay boys think you're going to get more than a caption mention in our Funny Girl at the Wedding piece?" Harmony laughed.

"I'm injured," Sebastian said, giving her his best doe eyed expression.

Harmony brushed him off. "Anyway, you didn't answer my question."

"I don't remember the question." Sebastian with a rakish dance move across the terrace.

"Let me put it this way, are you going to stand up when they ask if anyone objects during the ceremony tomorrow?"

"I'm not going to the wedding,'" Sebastian said ingenuously.

Harmony laughed. "You'd make a better elusive witness than an attorney like your father."

"I'm going to do my best to be anything but my father," Sebastian cracked a rueful smile.

"Oh why do you gay boys all have to be so charming?" Harmony wondered aloud. "Even my bisexual pal Jesse's more adorable than most of my ex-boyfriends combined."

"I have no response to your flattering question, Ace." Sebastian said. "But I'm sure the right young fella is just around the corner for you. Just be careful of the wicked ones like me!"

"There you go again, ruining me for all straight men," Harmony laughed and opened the door. "Good night, Sir Smythe."

"Good night, Ace." Sebastian said, waving at her as she closed the door.

Sebastian strolled the patio, lighting the cigarette he kept on him for the rare fall from the wagon. The night before Blaine's wedding seemed to be an appropriate occasion. Then he spotted something shiny on an outdoor sofa cushion. Bending down to look more closely, he recognized Blaine's watch. Next to them were what looked like Blaine's shoes and socks. He examined them more closely, puzzling over them.

"Is that you, Sebastian?" Kurt's voice came out of the darkness.

It was always Sebastian's instinct to defend Blaine, so he quickly covered for him. "Yeah," Sebastian called out, quickly pocketing the watch and putting out his cigarette.

"What are you doing here?" Kurt asked suspiciously as he came out of the shadows.

Sebastian swiftly covered Blaine's shoes with a few more outdoor pillows on the sofa before Kurt came within close proximity. "I was just walking Harmony back."

"I still haven't found Blaine," Kurt said with a sigh, too tired to bring his defenses up for Sebastian.

"Well, he's probably asleep, I'd say." Sebastian spoke casually. "He's getting married tomorrow, you know."

"Don't be funny," Kurt said, annoyance rising. "I called the landline in his bedroom and he didn't answer and he's STILL not picking up his cell."

"You know, Blaine was really tired one night and ended up sleeping over in my dorm room at Dalton once - in my roommate's bed, don't get your diapers in a twist. I remember his phone rang and rang and rang and he didn't bat an eyelash. He's a very remarkable guy, in a lot of respects…"

Kurt was suddenly really tired of Sebastian all over again. "I prefer not to discuss Blaine with you, if you don't mind," he said frigidly.

Off in the distance, Blaine could be heard singing faintly:

_Eat me, drink me, love me, hate me_  
_Either way you can't escape me_

Sebastian started talking loudly to drown out Blaine. "You know Kurt my man, you have a very big day tomorrow, I think… you I know we've never been exactly friends, but let's let bygones be bygones and I can walk you back to the party and we can have a drink…"

But Blaine's singing grew increasingly noisy, overpowering Sebastian's attempt at interference.

_I will hold you, I will catch you  
When you feel like you're falling  
When you feel like you're falling  
I'll be near you, I will hear you  
When you are calling  
When you are calling_

"That sounds like Blaine…" Kurt said.

Sebastian lied, "No, no, that's the security guy. His name is Thomas, I've known him since Sugar and I were kids. That's definitely his voice."

Sebastian tried to block Kurt's view of Jesse and Blaine emerging from the direction of the pool house, dressed in white terry bathrobes. Jesse was carrying Blaine in his arms.

Kurt craned his neck as Blaine kept singing drunkenly:

_Let me be your ride!  
Run away with me!  
California dreams here we come!  
Romeo is coming for Juliet!  
Ready set.  
Babee we're ready let's go!  
Anywhere!  
Say the word and I'm already there!_

"Kurt, honestly…" Sebastian said earnestly, blocking his way. "I think you ought to go."

Kurt pushed him hard and Sebastian stepped out of the way, shaking his head.

"That's nice, that's nice," Jesse slurred as they approached the house, still carrying the singing Blaine in his arms. "Ok. You can sing for me anytime, I can see why they said you were the new Rachel."

"Take me upstairs, Jesse…" Blaine slurred. "Take me to my bed."

"BLAINE!" Kurt nearly shouted.

"Oops," Jesse stopped short of Kurt and Sebastian.

"Oh hello, Kurt babee!" Blaine peered at him through half-closed eyelids.

"He sprained his ankle?" Sebastian asked, hoping Jesse would catch on.

"Nope," Jesse smiled dopily.

"Not wounded sire, but dead." Blaine said dramatically.

"Your English teacher would be proud," Sebastian said, rubbing his forehead.

"He insisted on jumping in the pool," Jesse beamed. "And when he hit the water, the champagne hit him!"

"You expect me to believe that, Jesse?" Kurt asked with venom, "I remember what a predatory creature you were with Rachel, and Blaine told me you've been leering over him all day."

Sebastian quickly held open the door to the house. "Sugar's room is at the top of the stairs there, second door on the right," he said, ushering Jesse in.

As Jesse carried him through the door, Blaine tapped Sebastian's cheek and said, "There were bells! Ding dong, ding dong."

"Ding dong, ding dong," Jesse echoed drunkenly.

"Congratulations Killer," said Sebastian sarcastically, trying to shove the unwieldy drunks into the house as quickly as possible and shutting the door speedily behind them.

Turning to Kurt, Sebastian said evenly, "Now Kurt, I wouldn't go jumping to any conclusions with that dirty little mind of yours…it might not be all that meets the eye, here."

Kurt seemed to have forgotten that Sebastian was his enemy as he paced the deck and spoke under his breath in shock. "Blaine, he promised…"

"Really Kurt, the implications might not be what they seem…"

Remembering it was Sebastian with him, Kurt glared."Oh I suppose you think it's all quite innocent."

"I'm sure the intent was innocent," Sebastian said seriously.

"How could he do this to me…" Kurt muttered again.

Sebastian sat down on the end table, looking philosophical. "Oh Kurt, in the morning Blaine won't remember anything. I think you ought to forget about it, too."

Kurt turned to him, accusing. "Oh you, and your sly ideas! You meerkat!"

"Oh Kurt - no repeat insults, that's against our sparring rules," Sebastian smirked.

Kurt looked like he might slap Sebastian, but they were interrupted by the door to the house opening, revealing Jesse, still in the bathrobe, bare chest exposed.

Kurt lunged toward the door but Sebastian beat him to it, throwing a punch that hit Jesse square in the jaw. Jesse tumbled over.

Kurt yelped, "What did you do that for?!"

Sebastian said calmly while rubbing his aching knuckles, "Well you know you and I are always competing, Kurt – I just wanted to throw the first punch."

Kurt smoldered with rage, spun on his heel, and stormed away.

Sebastian knelt down next to Jesse. "You okay? I thought I'd better hit you before Kurt did, he would have probably hit you a lot harder."

Jesse rubbed his jaw and tried to get up, but couldn't. Sebastian asked, "So exactly what happened tonight?"

Jesse passed out before he could answer.

Sebastian strained to pick him up and carry him upstairs. As he twisted to get Jesse through the guest bedroom door, he muttered to himself, "God, being nice sucks."


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning under a white silk tent on the Motta back lawn, event staff were busy ensuring that large round dining tables were covered with elegant linens, imported roses, polished silverware, crystal stemware, bone china, and gold mesh wedding favor bags filled with Broadway CDs, truffles, and tiny bottles of expensive hair gel.

Sugar, Kitty, and Marley were sorting corsages and boutonnieres for aunts and uncles at the table that was holding the bow-tie adorned guestbook. In the south parlor Tina directed Nick, Jeff, Wes, Sam and Mike in rehearsing their boy band number for the reception. On one end of the entry hall were stacks of chairs, silk and flowers. An arch and Roman-style white columns awaited ivy and roses for the altar area.

Cooper paced the hall, pointing emphatically as he rehearsed his toast.

But Kurt was not out of bed yet.

"We're gohhhhin' to the chapel and we're…gonnnnnna get maaaaaaaried!" sang Mercedes, Quinn, Brittany, Rachel and Santana as they burst through Kurt's bedroom door.

"The curtain means privacy!" Kurt moaned from the bed.

"We're not in Bushwick, Tweedledum! How much champagne did you have last night?" Santana sat on the bed, shaking him.

Kurt whined and burrowed deeper into the covers.

Rachel looked like the general of an army, armed with a clipboard. "Kurt, seriously, you have to get up – the manicurist and hairdresser are going to be here any minute, and I need to review a few more things on the schedule and honeymoon packing checklist with you!"

"LEAVE. ME. ALONE." Kurt barked. His tone surprised everyone.

Mercedes raised her eyebrows at everyone. "COLD FEET" she mouthed. "Kurt, we hear you – no problem, everyone's going to go get breakfast and you can come down whenever you're ready."

Rachel looked frustrated as Mercedes shooed everyone else out the door. Mercedes was about the close the door when Kurt spoke again from beneath the comforter. "Can you get my dad?"

Rachel said impatiently, "Ok, I'll get him but when he gets back up here we are starting on my checklist, ok?" She left without waiting for an answer.

Mercedes was worried. She stepped back in the room, asking gently, "Kurt, it's just me now. Are you okay?"

Kurt finally emerged from underneath the covers, his eyes puffy and red from crying. "No."

Mercedes rushed to sit on the bed next to him. "What's going on?"

"Blaine cheated on me with Jesse last night."

"What?" Mercedes was shocked.

Kurt looked stricken. "I caught them half naked and dripping wet. Jesse was practically dragging Blaine by the hair like a caveman from the pool at like 1AM last night. And they were completely hammered. I've never seen Blaine so drunk…How could he do this to me AGAIN? He promised!"

Mercedes wiped his tears gently. "Ok wait. Do you know for sure that something went down? What do you mean by half naked? Maybe they were just drunk and swimming?"

"Oh please, it was obvious. You should have seen the smirk on Jesse's face. And Blaine didn't even try to deny it!" Kurt buried his face in a pillow.

Mercedes said reasonably, "That doesn't _necessarily_ mean anything. Don't you trust Blaine?"

"Yeah, don't you trust Blaine?" Burt had appeared in the doorway.

Kurt looked up quickly "Dad…"

Burt nodded to Mercedes and Rachel who was peering through the crack in the door. Mercedes slipped out and shut the door behind them.

Burt walked over and sat beside the bed. "You look like hell, kid. What happened?"

Kurt said tearfully, "Blaine cheated on me last night. The wedding is off."

Burt pulled back and his eyes narrowed. "Are you kidding me?"

"He was drunk, incredibly drunk. He disappeared when I wasn't looking but I assumed he was just with Sam and those guys who snuck out back," Kurt's pace was quickening as his anger rose. "Then later the guys said they hadn't seen him all night, so I looked all over Sebastian's house, then I came back here to look for him, and I found Jesse coming out from the pool house CARRYING Blaine like a fireman and they were both SO drunk and wet and only wearing bathrobes and Sebastian was trying to cover for them which you KNOW means there was definitely something awful going on and then after Jesse came down from taking Blaine up to his BEDROOM, I didn't even get to scratch his eyes out! Sebastian that meerkat hit him first and knocked him out!" Kurt finally took a breath.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Burt said with concern. "Wait. Do you know for sure that Blaine…well, that he did anything wrong?"

"Dad, you should have seen the triumphant look on Jesse's face…and I have never seen Blaine so drunk… and he didn't deny it." Kurt insisted.

"But did he admit it? Was he even in any condition to confess or deny?" Burt said.

Kurt finally slowed his breathing and looked down. "I guess not, but…"

"Then what are you so riled up about?" Burt said. "Go find out what happened. But this gets back to my first question. Don't you trust Blaine?"

"Yes, of course I do," Kurt looked down in his lap.

Burt leaned forward to try to catch his eye. "You sure don't sound like it."

Kurt sighed and smoothed the pillow on his lap. "Dad, I don't want to be that guy. I don't want to be some crazy jealous husband."

"Ok." Burt encouraged him to continue.

"Why do I feel this way? I don't question Blaine's love for me for one second. His love for me blows me away. It's one of the things I admire about him – his capacity for love, and his dedication to us – even after everything we went through. Then why don't I trust him? Why would I think someone who loves me so much would cheat on me?

"Because he's done it before." Kurt answered himself sadly. "But that doesn't mean he'll do it again! I don't get it - this doesn't make sense. I believe that he's sorry about the cheating, and I believed him when he says he'll never do it again. But then something like this happens and I stop believing him. Will it always be like this?"

Kurt's face twisted in confusion. "Do I know enough about love to get married?" he got out of bed and started meticulously organizing toiletries, his hairbrush and toothbrush at right angles in front of the dresser mirror.

He looked in the mirror with a questioning expression. "What am I saying? We've been planning this for months. 200 people are here for this wedding - I can't change my mind now."

Burt walked up behind him and patted his shoulder. "Kurt you can do whatever you want. I'm here for you either way."

Kurt looked at his dad in the mirror. "I can't break this off now. It would kill him. He'd break up with me." He sighed. "But we're so young."

"You're 19." Burt's tone carried no inflection whatsoever.

"What do you mean? Is 19 too young?" Kurt's eyes were searching.

"It still doesn't matter what I think."

"Dad, stop. You told me to be a man, and I'm being a man. And to make my own decisions, I want to weigh a lot of perspectives. Yours most of all. I mean, when I make decisions I almost always ask myself, 'What would Dad think?' So you may as well confirm that I have it right. You know Blaine and I. You know about marriage...You know what mom would have thought about this."

Burt looked at him for a minute. "Ok. From where I sit, it seems too soon for you guys. Yeah, I know what I said about you and your mom. But you and Blaine are different. This isn't about just about age. It's complicated. He cheated on you and you guys don't seem to have come back from that. You met when you were 16 and neither of you have ever dated anyone else.

"And I'll be honest, I don't think either of you get what marriage really involves. It's the biggest promise you're probably ever gonna make, it's a vow – it's a really big deal. Every fight and every decision you make will carry the weight of that vow. That's why a divorce is a huge deal.

The way I see it, marriage isn't just about finding someone you think you can be happy spending the rest of your life with. It's about trusting each other to keep your vows, and it's about trusting yourself to keep those vows. And I'll be honest Kurt, it doesn't look like you were trusting Blaine just now.

Kurt looked up. "I want to trust him, I really do."

"I know. But you're not totally there yet – and that's okay. What's your hurry?"

"What if I break his heart completely by cancelling this wedding and he breaks up with me? What if he falls in love with someone else?"

"You sound like Blaine. When two people love each other, like you two do? Everything works out."

"So you think we'll end up together?"

"Kurt, I can't predict the future, but I know everything will work out."

"So you think I should just cancel the wedding? Or break up with him, too?"

Burt's voice grew quieter. "Kurt, your mother would have loved Blaine. But she wouldn't want to choose your husband and she would want you to make this decision on your own, too."

Kurt sighed. "Is there anything to eat for breakfast? I could go for some coffeecake."

* * *

"Good morning, sir." The butler walked out from the house with a pitcher of ice water and glasses and set them next to the coffee on the settee table.

"Don't scream at the top of your lungs my good man, I had champagne last night," reprimanded Uncle Willy.

"Sorry, sir - could I get you anything, sir?"

"Yes you could get me a glass of that ice water, and a new head if you've got one."

Sebastian strolled up. "Good morning, Uncle Willy." He sat down and helped himself to coffee, then paced the patio deck. "Uncle Willy, can I tell you something?"

Uncle Willy interrupted. "Give me a scotch – I'm starving. This is the sort of day history teaches us is better spent in bed."

"Hello Uncle Willy!" Blaine was dressed in his tuxedo and stood in the doorway to the house, shielding his almost closed eyes from the sun. "How are you doing? Good? It's a beautiful day isn't it? Beautiful." he said too brightly.

Sebastian regarded him with good humor from the far corner of the deck.

Blaine didn't see him. He sighed. "Where is everybody?"

"Stop talking," answered his uncle, holding his head.

"You hung over, Uncle Willy? God, so am I." Blaine confessed, covering his eyes. "I can't seem to get my eyes open! My clothes feel so heavy!"

"Are you still drunk?" Sebastian laughed, walking over.

Blaine started. "Oh Sebastian, what are you doing here?"

"Just checking in on you, B." Sebastian said mildly.

"Seb, go home," Blaine ordered.

Sebastian shook his head. "No, no, not 'til we get those eyes open. And how do you feel otherwise?"

Blaine shuddered. "Oh, not good. Not good. I don't seem to remember last night at all."

Uncle Willy said, "Well you left the party early and came right home to bed!"

"Thank you, it's nice to have things accounted for." Blaine sighed in relief. "Only I wonder what this might be," he said, holding up a wristwatch.

"That's a gentleman's wristwatch," Uncle Willy responded.

"But whose? I nearly stepped on it."

"Getting out of bed?" Sebastian asked innocently.

"Yes, why?" Blaine narrowed his eyes at him.

"Oh, nothing," Sebastian said ruefully, turning away to his coffee.

A light dawned in Blaine's hazel eyes, but he looked unprepared to deal with it yet. He pocketed the wristwatch again. "And there's another thing, my own watch is gone."

"Is this the timepiece of which you speak?" Sebastian pulled Blaine's watch out of his pocket.

"Where did you find it?" Blaine asked with awe.

"Don't tell me you don't remember!" Sebastian smirked.

"Did I give it to you?"

"No, I just stumbled across it," Sebastian chuckled.

Blaine took the watch and began to head back in the house.

"But hey Killer, if you're going to drink a lot of champagne, you ought to take a swim, nothing like a swim to open the eyes."

Blaine froze in the doorway, slowly turned around and stared in the direction of the pool house with huge eyes.

"Ah ha," Sebastian smirked, "now those eyes are open."

Blaine spun around and grabbed Sebastian by the shirt. "Seb, what do you know?!"

Sebastian threw his hands in the air. "I swear, that's all I know – you and Jesse were both drunk and you went swimming. You guys both passed out before I could get any more out of you."

Blaine whimpered. "Jesse?! Oh no oh no oh no!"

Sebastian added, "And...you came back to the house with just pool robes on."

"Oh my fucking god."

"It's not clear if that deity was involved," Sebastian said. "You better check in with Jesse on that one." He stood up and patted Uncle Willy on the shoulder. "Sir, why don't you and I go into the pantry and have a toddy for the body."

"Medicinal," Uncle Willy agreed, getting up and following Sebastian in the house.

Blaine walked over to the settee, still looking shocked, fingering his watch. He started to sit down but hopped back up, having sat down on what turned out to be his shoes from the night before. He quickly hid them again under a pillow and collapsed on the settee, throwing his head backwards and covering his face with his hands.

"Good morning," Jesse said, emerging from the opposite doors. "Are you alright?"

Blaine sat up quickly and smiled. "Of course, why shouldn't I be?"

Jesse sat down next to him. "Well you put away a river of champagne last night."

Blaine ignored this and kept smiling, saying casually, "I had a great night, did you?"

"Oh yeah, I sure did," Jesse smirked. "Especially the last part of it."

"Why, especially the last?" Blaine asked, trying to remain calm.

"You're asking me?" Jesse asked with surprise.

"Oh you mean the swim," Blaine said with a forced grin. "We did swim, and…so forth, didn't we."

"Yeah, we swam and so forth," Jesse laughed. "Oh, what can I say, babe…"

"Not anything, and especially not babe!" Blaine jumped up in desperation.

"I just wanted to say I had a ball last night!" Jesse said with a smile. He got up behind Blaine and spoke in his ear. "So are you going to go through with it? The wedding?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Blaine asked, with a terrified look in his eyes.

"You really didn't think about last night when you woke up this morning and decided to put on your wedding tuxedo?"

Blaine turned to face him. "No Jesse, I'm not being coy. I'm asking you straight out, tell me the reason why you think I wouldn't want to go through with the wedding!" Blaine ran his hands through his hair wildly. "No don't! I don't think I'm ready to hear it yet." He suddenly remembered Rachel's clipboard and schedule. "Wait, what time is it?! What time is it?!"

Jesse said, "I would love to tell you but my phone is in my room and I seem to have misplaced my watch last night."

"Ooooooh." Blaine groaned. "You don't know how extremely sorry I am to hear you say that," he said as he pulled the watch out of his pocket.

"Oh there, it is," Jesse smiled, taking it. "I ought to give you a reward, where'd you find it?"

"You could just say I stumbled over it," Blaine said, sitting down and leaning over his knees to put his head in his hands.

Sebastian came back out to the patio with a juice drink. "Hey Jesse, how are you on this bright and festive morning?"

Jesse said, "Do you ever talk like a normal person?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Do you ever shut up?"

Jesse laughed. Seeing a glass in Sebastian's hand, he changed his tune and asked, "Is that for me?"

"It's for Killer here."

"_I'd_ kill someone for a drink."

"Uncle Willy's in the pantry doing weird and wonderful things with various healing waters, tell him you'd like one of these."

"Can I ask for two?"

"Keep going until you kill everyone in sight."

"I'll be drinking a long time," Jesse said, heading inside.

Sebastian offered up the drink to Blaine, whose head was nearly between his knees. "Doctor's orders, Killer."

"What is it," Blaine grunted.

"Just the juice of a few fresh flowers," Sebastian replied, forcing it into Blaine's hand. "It's called a stinger - removes the sting."

Blaine put the glass down and put his head in hands again. "Oh Bastian, I've done it again. It's like I have some kind of sex addiction!" he said angrily. "How could I have cheated again? What do I do?" Blaine was in tears.

Sebastian couldn't stand that. He lifted Blaine's chin. "Ok, you do not have a sex addiction. And you start with talking to Kurt about it." He searched for a cigarette in his pocket.

"Kurt! God, I have to tell him right away," Blaine jerked up in alarm.

"Oh, he knows," Sebastian said. "He was here, too."

"Oh for god's sake, why didn't you sell tickets?!" Blaine exclaimed.

Sebastian handed Blaine his drink. "You'd better finish this."

Blaine asked miserably, "What exactly did Kurt say last night?"

"Well, he was a little shaken," Sebastian soft pedaled, "But he could rally."

Blaine said, "There's no way in hell." The tears flooded his eyes again. "Seb, I'm such an unholy mess!"

"Well come now, that's not even good conversation, Killer." Sebastian said soothingly. "But before we find Kurt, did you like my wedding present? I'm not used to having my gifts go unacknowledged."

"Oh it was a wonderful gift, Seb." Blaine said sadly. "Especially the Rachel Fuller music. But I haven't been very wonderful to you, have I?" He hung his head.

Sebastian said, "You've been just fine. And I'm glad you liked the present." He mused quietly, "I remember how your fingers on the piano looked that night, playing 'Wonderland.' It was really dim in there, and a little smoky, and you were all sweaty and your hair started curling up."

Blaine watched Sebastian, touched by the details.

"You know they closed that bar," Sebastian added.

"What?" Blaine was dismayed. "That sweet old place? That's criminal."

"I was actually thinking of putting some money into having Trent's dad open up an updated one in the same spot. Call it 'Killer's,'" Sebastian looked sideways at Blaine.

Blaine was looking dark again. "I know what you can call it," Blaine said grimly, "The ManSlut."

"Now come on B, I won't have you thinking such things about yourself."

"Well it's true."

"If you're a ManSlut, what the hell does that make me?"

Blaine couldn't laugh.

Sebastian said gently, "You were really, really drunk last night. I feel bad I didn't check in on you, I thought Kurt was taking care of you."

"Kurt…" Blaine groaned. "I do remember you kissing me, and that Kurt saw that, too."

"On the cheek, come on - he can't hold that against you," said Sebastian. "Just kissing the bride...groom."

Blaine was inconsolable. "Well there's one good thing, 'Bastian. You are going to Stanford where you'll study to become something wonderful, and party every weekend in that Castro district in San Francisco. You'll be well rid of me."

"Now now now, no one can say that but me," Sebastian patted him on the back.

Harmony and Jesse walked out of the house. "Good morning! I hope we aren't interrupting anything?" Harmony asked. "Someone said there was coffee out here."

Sebastian reached for the coffee pot to our, and Harmony spoke again. "Oh, here comes the other groom!"

Kurt was heading down the large staircase, looking out the patio doors.


	7. Chapter 7

Sebastian stared out over the blue waters of the lake, bowtie untied, tuxedo jacket gone, sleeves rolled up and shoes dusty from the dirt path that led from the main road where his car was parked.

"_Well I guess that settles that! On with the wedding! _

"_Kurt I'm so sorry for putting you through this, I'm so, so sorry."_

Sebastian's gaze fixed on the horizon as he cursed himself for letting hope flicker again. He remembered again why he had never given much credit to hope.

_"You're not fooling anybody. The wedding is tomorrow, and you're not going to block it."_

_"Taking advantage of him while he's drunk, huh Sebastian?"_

_"Breathe, Seb…you're getting a little irrational again."_

"_The wedding is tomorrow. He's still oblivious.__ "_

He was vaguely aware of afternoon picnickers across the water, the sound of small children drifting across the lake, the sounds from above of leaves fluttering and birds flapping.

"_You'll never be a wonderful man or even a wonderful human being until you learn to have some regard for human frailty - especially your own."_

_"Haven't you had enough to drink, Sebastian?"_

"_Blaine likes character, I guess."_

_"Sebastian if you can't support this wedding, just go away…and stay away...at least for a while."  
_

He sat down on a nearby boulder, his legs feeling stiff and lips feeling chapped.

"_I've never heard you say one bad word about Hummel…ever. How is that possible?"_

_"You've always said enough bad words for both of us."_

_"If you insist on breaking my heart tomorrow you can let me finish today."_

"_It is EXHAUSTING to watch you live like this."_

His breath hitched ever so slightly.

"_Surely you can't be so naïve to think that there won't be anyone else at your wedding faux smiling like I did at your over-the-top, cheesey, circus-like proposal."_

_ "Really Killer, that public school should have taught you graduates how to complete sentences." _

"_When I asked you to help with the proposal, I didn't realize how much you…loved me."_

Sebastian bit his lip fiercely, drawing blood.

"_Kurt Hummel, my amazing friend, my one true love, Will you marry me?"_

"_Yes, Kurt and I slept together at the wedding."_

_Eat me, drink me, win me, lose me__  
__Either way you have to choose me_

_Eat me, drink me, love me, hate me__  
__Either way you can't escape me_

He crossed his arms, nails digging into his biceps.

"_Sebastian. Of course it was you." _

"_Guys, I didn't come here to sing a song."_

_"Will you love me…for my dark side?"_

A shiny flat stone caught his eye, the kind he used to delight in finding as a boy. He stood up to hurl it with power across the lake, watching it skip five times before disappearing.

"_Quit waxing your eyebrows, you look like Liberace. In fact…just stay in the closet, buddy."_

"_Blaine, I'm sorry about your eye."_

"_That means nothing to me." _

Sebastian sat down again, tasting the blood on his lip.

"_I'm Captain of the Warblers now and I'm tired of playing nice."_

"_None of that was classy. Nothing."_

"_Blaine may lose an eye…Blaine had to have surgery."_

Light footsteps sounded on the path.

_"Look, Sebastian. I have a boyfriend…I just never want to mess my thing up with him, in any way."_

_"I miss Dalton everyday…but McKinley is where my heart is."_

Santana appeared, without a look at his stony profile or uttering a word. She sat down next to him and and looked at the lake.

He kept his eyes on the horizon.

She gets it.

* * *

Blaine stirred as he woke, feeling stiff all over.

"You're awake! How are you doing?" Sam leaned forward from his seat nearby.

Blaine blinked and squinted his eyes. "I'm numb."

"Like actually numb? Where? 'Cause I can come and pound on your arm or wherever - it totally works on my little brother."

"No," Blaine spluttered, sitting up. "I just am still a little hung over, I think." He stared up at the ceiling.

Sam said, "Besides the hangover, you okay?"

Blaine sat up slowly. He stared down at the blood stained bathrobe. He looked around the room and stared at his guitar at his right. On his left was his cold cup of coffee on an end table .

"Is there more coffee anywhere?"

"Yeah, Tina dropped some off." Sam said, handing him a fresh cup. "She said that they just moved all the photos until after the wedding, but she wants you to shave again. I really didn't want them to wake you, so she had the manicurist do your nails while you were sleeping. I hope you don't mind that I let them, I didn't know…what to tell them."

Blaine looked down at his hands in surprise, then started guzzling coffee. "She has got to stop doing stuff to me while I sleep."

"And Blaine…"

Blaine interrupted, "I need to do my hair."

Sam stared him. "So you're…"

Blaine had a determined look in his eye. "Over my hangover and cold feet? Yes."

Sam looked hesitant. "Are you sure?"

Blaine looked at him with questioning eyes. "Sam? I know you've never done this before, but the best man is supposed to reassure the groom when he gets cold feet."

"Yeah. But um, Kurt came by while you were sleeping and said he wanted to talk to you."

"Really? How did he seem?"

"I don't know, fine, I guess."

"Did he look upset? Or worried? Nervous? Mad?"

"Uh, none of that. He just seemed like he wanted to talk to you."

There was a knock at the door. Kurt stepped in, dressed in his tuxedo, perfectly coiffed and groomed.

Sam took one look at him and left.

Blaine looked at him and smiled sweetly. "You look amazing. But aren't we not supposed to see each other before the wedding?"

Kurt looked serious, but had a faint smile on his face. "Let's take a walk."

"A walk?"

"Yes."

Blaine looked down at the blood stained bathrobe. "I don't have anything to wear. Why a walk?"

"Just come with me, it's okay. Your nails look great, by the way."

They slipped out of the room and out the patio doors.

They began to walk the wide perimeter of the Motta grounds. Kurt looked out into the distance and said quietly. "Blaine, all I could think of last night and early this morning was 'I can't believe he could do this to me again…'"

"Well I was thinking the same thing," Blaine said, looking sorry.

"But this afternoon while you were sleeping, I've been wondering why you got yourself in a situation where that might happen. Why were you drinking so much yesterday, Blaine? Jesse said you had been drinking since the afternoon?" Kurt asked with concern.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt…"

"I'm not asking for an apology, Blaine. It's okay. Just, why?"

Blaine hesitated at first. "I guess I was just getting cold feet. But that's normal, right? What's important is that nothing happened with Jesse and I'm excited about marrying you today!" He gave Kurt's hand a squeeze.

Kurt let go of his hand and turned to face him. He asked gently but firmly, "Blaine, why do you want to marry me now? And what were the cold feet about?"

"What?" Blaine asked in surprise.

Kurt pushed. "Why do you want to marry me now? Why were you drinking so much?"

Blaine's eyes narrowed. "Where is this going?"

"I'm just asking two questions," Kurt maintained.

Blaine started walking again. "Kurt, you're scaring me."

Kurt followed. "I just need to know your answer."

"No, Kurt. We are not doing this. You're just the one with cold feet now, it's going to be okay, really."

"You still haven't answered. And if it's going to be okay, why are you walking so fast?"

Blaine stopped and faced him, frustrated. "What are you doing? Are you trying to break up with me on the day of our wedding? This is not happening. We are meant to be together."

"Blaine…" Kurt's blue eyes swam with tears.

"You said you would marry me. Kurt, you said yes to me on those stairs at Dalton, you agreed that our hands were meant to hold each other forever. I love you so much, Kurt," Blaine said, his tone pleading.

Kurt said tenderly, "I love you, too. But why marriage now?"

Blaine grew desperate. "Because I love you, Kurt… and… I want our life together to start right away. We know each other better than anyone else. Don't do this, right before we finally get to that altar!" He wrung his hands. "We can be the happiest people in the world. I'll take care of you and everything will be so wonderful in New York together. Because there is nothing more important than this right now, you're my everything, there is nothing better than when we are together, we're perfect, it's so perf…" Suddenly Blaine cut himself off.

"Blaine I can't be your everything. That's too much pressure." Kurt argued.

Blaine ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes.

"Blaine?" Kurt looked puzzled.

Blaine let out a sigh and muttered, "Oh, Jesus."

"What?"

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"That I'm your everything?"

"No, I think after that. I said 'we're perfect.'"

"Yeah, you did." Kurt said, raising his eyebrows and encouraging him to continue.

Blaine sat down on a bench near the rose garden. He groaned and let out a whimper. "God I hate that they're right."

Kurt sat down to join him. "Who?"

"Everyone. Oh crap – we can't do this." He looked sideways at Kurt. "Right?"

Kurt gave him a rueful smile. "Did you _see_ us this morning? We thought you had sex with Jesse. Both of us were scared out of our skulls."

Blaine said with a sigh, "I know I was." He looked remorseful. "I guess neither of us are in a very trusting place." He rumpled his curly head again. "I was thinking about it, too. I think I really don't trust myself right now…and I guess a wedding ring is going to instantly change that, no matter how much I want it to."

They were silent a moment, the reality sinking in.

Blaine put his face in his hands.

"It's just not our time now," Kurt said softly.

"Yeah, no…yeah you're right." Blaine slowly sat up. I just can't believe it got this far."

"I can't either. What were we thinking?" Kurt shook his head and got up, motioning for Blaine to walk with him.

They kept walking, for several minutes without speaking, against the bright blue sky and the sound of birds and the wind in the trees.

"Kurt, I'm sorry I made this whole…mess."

"What do you mean?"

"The proposal…I mean how could you have possibly said no to that, in front of all those people? I basically backed you into a corner."

"I could have said no, Blaine. Either right there or I could have talked to you later. I knew you were going to ask. And I wanted to say yes in the moment. It was just so beautiful… you were so beautiful…you ARE so beautiful."

"Tell me again why we can't do this?" Blaine's eyes filled with tears.

"Because you're 18 and I'm 19 and we don't know half of what we would be vowing to each other at this point."

Blaine nodded. They walked on silent for another few minutes.

Blaine said quietly, "You know after Finn died I was thinking about how he let Rachel go to bloom at NYADA."

"Rachel talked about that when we found a little quiet time together at the bachelor party. I was thinking about when you jumped rope in the McKinley courtyard and you told _me_ go bloom in New York. I think it's my turn to let you go bloom, Blaine."

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "And to do that, you know what we have to do, right?"

"Yeah…" Kurt hung his head. "But I missed you so much when weren't talking last fall."

Blaine squeezed his hand. "We can talk. I think we can still talk. We just shouldn't…be dating. And personally, I really shouldn't be dating anyone for awhile."

"Why?"

"Because I think I…lose myself. I need to focus on myself and figuring out what I want. And I think I'm hung up on some perfect idea of love. I need to figure what I would want in a real relationship, instead of an idealized one."

"The band, rose petals, and show choirs support that theory. Not to mention the Gap Attack," Kurt teased.

They laughed hard together. "Hey, I was a sophomore when we did that!" Blaine gasped.

"We're not those boys anymore, are we?" Kurt said. "And I'm glad. You took care of me so much that going to New York was terrifying. And then I got there and things started off pretty well, and I took you for granted. I'm really sorry about doing that, Blaine."

"I'm just happy you are talking to me after what I did in response." Blaine said with regret.

"In a weird way, it was good for me."

"How do you mean?"

"Well you might assume perfection, but I think I may have just expected it from you. So when you cheated, you rocked my world, showing me you weren't perfect. But in the long run that's probably a good thing. I need to…"

"Have some regard for human frailty." Blaine finished for him.

"Yeah. And the whole thing spun me out on my own, which meant I had to put myself out there even more. And that was very good. It's just that when I'm with you I feel so safe. But I've learned this year that happy isn't necessarily about feeling safe."

"Do you know what Jesse asked me?"

"What?"

"How do we know we are soulmates if we've never dated anyone else?"

Kurt laughed, "He may have a point."

Blaine asked, "But aren't you supposed to just 'know'? So it wouldn't matter if you've never dated anyone else?"

Kurt said, "Well you're 18, I'm 19 – we should have a look around and double check."

"You know what your dad said to me?" Blaine said.

"What?"

"'When two people love each other, like you two do? Everything works out.'"

"He said the exact same thing to me."

Blaine grimaced…"I don't know Kurt…it really doesn't seem right… Are we really going to not to do this? I never felt so sure of wanting something as I have about getting you back this year."

They sat quietly for a minute

Kurt's blue eyes glistened with tears. "A wise man once said, 'You know what we're gonna do? Surrender. I know how hard that is for you because of how hard you hold on to stuff … But we're just gonna sit here and we're just gonna let go and let the universe do its thing and if we're meant to be together, then we're gonna be together.'"

"Surrender." Blaine confirmed, a tear rolling down his face. "And we'll be best friends no matter what."

They hugged, tears rolling down their cheeks, and walked back to the house.

At the door, Blaine looked at Kurt one more time and said, "Okay, last time I'm going to ask…we're sure we want to do this?"

"Blaine, you're in a blood stained white robe. It's like we're in a Greek tragedy – and that's as obvious of a sign as we're going to get. We gotta do this."

Blaine laughed, nodding He gave Kurt's hand a squeeze. "You mean we gotta _not _do this."


	8. Chapter 8

Sebastian stared out over the blue waters of the lake, bowtie untied, tuxedo jacket gone, sleeves rolled up and shoes dusty from the dirt path that led from the main road where his car was parked.

"_Well I guess that settles that! On with the wedding! _

"_Kurt I'm so sorry for putting you through this, I'm so, so sorry."_

Sebastian's gaze fixed on the horizon as he cursed himself for letting hope flicker again. He remembered again why he had never given much credit to hope.

_"You're not fooling anybody. The wedding is tomorrow, and you're not going to block it."_

_"Taking advantage of him while he's drunk, huh Sebastian?"_

_"Breathe, Seb…you're getting a little irrational again."_

"_The wedding is tomorrow. He's still oblivious.__ "_

He was vaguely aware of afternoon picnickers across the water, the sound of small children drifting across the lake, the sounds from above of leaves fluttering and birds flapping.

"_You'll never be a wonderful man or even a wonderful human being until you learn to have some regard for human frailty - especially your own."_

_"Haven't you had enough to drink, Sebastian?"_

"_Blaine likes character, I guess."_

_"Sebastian if you can't support this wedding, just go away…and stay away...at least for a while."  
_

He sat down on a nearby boulder, his legs feeling stiff and lips feeling chapped.

"_I've never heard you say one bad word about Hummel…ever. How is that possible?"_

_"You've always said enough bad words for both of us."_

_"If you insist on breaking my heart tomorrow you can let me finish today."_

"_It is EXHAUSTING to watch you live like this."_

His breath hitched ever so slightly.

"_Surely you can't be so naïve to think that there won't be anyone else at your wedding faux smiling like I did at your over-the-top, cheesey, circus-like proposal."_

_ "Really Killer, that public school should have taught you graduates how to complete sentences." _

"_When I asked you to help with the proposal, I didn't realize how much you…loved me."_

Sebastian bit his lip fiercely, drawing blood.

"_Kurt Hummel, my amazing friend, my one true love, Will you marry me?"_

"_Yes, Kurt and I slept together at the wedding."_

_Eat me, drink me, win me, lose me__  
__Either way you have to choose me_

_Eat me, drink me, love me, hate me__  
__Either way you can't escape me_

He crossed his arms, nails digging into his biceps.

"_Sebastian. Of course it was you." _

"_Guys, I didn't come here to sing a song."_

_"Will you love me…for my dark side?"_

A shiny flat stone caught his eye, the kind he used to delight in finding as a boy. He stood up to hurl it with power across the lake, watching it skip five times before disappearing.

"_Quit waxing your eyebrows, you look like Liberace. In fact…just stay in the closet, buddy."_

"_Blaine, I'm sorry about your eye."_

"_That means nothing to me." _

Sebastian sat down again, tasting the blood on his lip.

"_I'm Captain of the Warblers now and I'm tired of playing nice."_

"_None of that was classy. Nothing."_

"_Blaine may lose an eye…Blaine had to have surgery."_

Light footsteps sounded on the path.

_"Look, Sebastian. I have a boyfriend…I just never want to mess my thing up with him, in any way."_

_"I miss Dalton everyday…but McKinley is where my heart is."_

Santana appeared, without a look at his stony profile or uttering a word. She sat down next to him and and looked at the lake.

He kept his eyes on the horizon.

She gets it.

* * *

Blaine stirred as he woke, feeling stiff all over.

"You're awake! How are you doing?" Sam leaned forward from his seat nearby.

Blaine blinked and squinted his eyes. "I'm numb."

"Like actually numb? Where? 'Cause I can come and pound on your arm or wherever - it totally works on my little brother."

"No," Blaine spluttered, sitting up. "I just am still a little hung over, I think." He stared up at the ceiling.

Sam said, "Besides the hangover, you okay?"

Blaine sat up slowly. He stared down at the blood stained bathrobe. He looked around the room and stared at his guitar at his right. On his left was his cold cup of coffee on an end table .

"Is there more coffee anywhere?"

"Yeah, Tina dropped some off." Sam said, handing him a fresh cup. "She said that they just moved all the photos until after the wedding, but she wants you to shave again. I really didn't want them to wake you, so she had the manicurist do your nails while you were sleeping. I hope you don't mind that I let them, I didn't know…what to tell them."

Blaine looked down at his hands in surprise, then started guzzling coffee. "She has got to stop doing stuff to me while I sleep."

"And Blaine…"

Blaine interrupted, "I need to do my hair."

Sam stared him. "So you're…"

Blaine had a determined look in his eye. "Over my hangover and cold feet? Yes."

Sam looked hesitant. "Are you sure?"

Blaine looked at him with questioning eyes. "Sam? I know you've never done this before, but the best man is supposed to reassure the groom when he gets cold feet."

"Yeah. But um, Kurt came by while you were sleeping and said he wanted to talk to you."

"Really? How did he seem?"

"I don't know, fine, I guess."

"Did he look upset? Or worried? Nervous? Mad?"

"Uh, none of that. He just seemed like he wanted to talk to you."

There was a knock at the door. Kurt stepped in, dressed in his tuxedo, perfectly coiffed and groomed.

Sam took one look at him and left.

Blaine looked at him and smiled sweetly. "You look amazing. But aren't we not supposed to see each other before the wedding?"

Kurt looked serious, but had a faint smile on his face. "Let's take a walk."

"A walk?"

"Yes."

Blaine looked down at the blood stained bathrobe. "I don't have anything to wear. Why a walk?"

"Just come with me, it's okay. Your nails look great, by the way."

They slipped out of the room and out the patio doors.

They began to walk the wide perimeter of the Motta grounds. Kurt looked out into the distance and said quietly. "Blaine, all I could think of last night and early this morning was 'I can't believe he could do this to me again…'"

"Well I was thinking the same thing," Blaine said, looking sorry.

"But this afternoon while you were sleeping, I've been wondering why you got yourself in a situation where that might happen. Why were you drinking so much yesterday, Blaine? Jesse said you had been drinking since the afternoon?" Kurt asked with concern.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt…"

"I'm not asking for an apology, Blaine. It's okay. Just, why?"

Blaine hesitated at first. "I guess I was just getting cold feet. But that's normal, right? What's important is that nothing happened with Jesse and I'm excited about marrying you today!" He gave Kurt's hand a squeeze.

Kurt let go of his hand and turned to face him. He asked gently but firmly, "Blaine, why do you want to marry me now? And what were the cold feet about?"

"What?" Blaine asked in surprise.

Kurt pushed. "Why do you want to marry me now? Why were you drinking so much?"

Blaine's eyes narrowed. "Where is this going?"

"I'm just asking two questions," Kurt maintained.

Blaine started walking again. "Kurt, you're scaring me."

Kurt followed. "I just need to know your answer."

"No, Kurt. We are not doing this. You're just the one with cold feet now, it's going to be okay, really."

"You still haven't answered. And if it's going to be okay, why are you walking so fast?"

Blaine stopped and faced him, frustrated. "What are you doing? Are you trying to break up with me on the day of our wedding? This is not happening. We are meant to be together."

"Blaine…" Kurt's blue eyes swam with tears.

"You said you would marry me. Kurt, you said yes to me on those stairs at Dalton, you agreed that our hands were meant to hold each other forever. I love you so much, Kurt," Blaine said, his tone pleading.

Kurt said tenderly, "I love you, too. But why marriage now?"

Blaine grew desperate. "Because I love you, Kurt… and… I want our life together to start right away. We know each other better than anyone else. Don't do this, right before we finally get to that altar!" He wrung his hands. "We can be the happiest people in the world. I'll take care of you and everything will be so wonderful in New York together. Because there is nothing more important than this right now, you're my everything, there is nothing better than when we are together, we're perfect, it's so perf…" Suddenly Blaine cut himself off.

"Blaine I can't be your everything. That's too much pressure." Kurt argued.

Blaine ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes.

"Blaine?" Kurt looked puzzled.

Blaine let out a sigh and muttered, "Oh, Jesus."

"What?"

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"That I'm your everything?"

"No, I think after that. I said 'we're perfect.'"

"Yeah, you did." Kurt said, raising his eyebrows and encouraging him to continue.

Blaine sat down on a bench near the rose garden. He groaned and let out a whimper. "God I hate that they're right."

Kurt sat down to join him. "Who?"

"Everyone. Oh crap – we can't do this." He looked sideways at Kurt. "Right?"

Kurt gave him a rueful smile. "Did you _see_ us this morning? We thought you had sex with Jesse. Both of us were scared out of our skulls."

Blaine said with a sigh, "I know I was." He looked remorseful. "I guess neither of us are in a very trusting place." He rumpled his curly head again. "I was thinking about it, too. I think I really don't trust myself right now…and I guess a wedding ring is going to instantly change that, no matter how much I want it to."

They were silent a moment, the reality sinking in.

Blaine put his face in his hands.

"It's just not our time now," Kurt said softly.

"Yeah, no…yeah you're right." Blaine slowly sat up. I just can't believe it got this far."

"I can't either. What were we thinking?" Kurt shook his head and got up, motioning for Blaine to walk with him.

They kept walking, for several minutes without speaking, against the bright blue sky and the sound of birds and the wind in the trees.

"Kurt, I'm sorry I made this whole…mess."

"What do you mean?"

"The proposal…I mean how could you have possibly said no to that, in front of all those people? I basically backed you into a corner."

"I could have said no, Blaine. Either right there or I could have talked to you later. I knew you were going to ask. And I wanted to say yes in the moment. It was just so beautiful… you were so beautiful…you ARE so beautiful."

"Tell me again why we can't do this?" Blaine's eyes filled with tears.

"Because you're 18 and I'm 19 and we don't know half of what we would be vowing to each other at this point."

Blaine nodded. They walked on silent for another few minutes.

Blaine said quietly, "You know after Finn died I was thinking about how he let Rachel go to bloom at NYADA."

"Rachel talked about that when we found a little quiet time together at the bachelor party. I was thinking about when you jumped rope in the McKinley courtyard and you told _me_ go bloom in New York. I think it's my turn to let you go bloom, Blaine."

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "And to do that, you know what we have to do, right?"

"Yeah…" Kurt hung his head. "But I missed you so much when weren't talking last fall."

Blaine squeezed his hand. "We can talk. I think we can still talk. We just shouldn't…be dating. And personally, I really shouldn't be dating anyone for awhile."

"Why?"

"Because I think I…lose myself. I need to focus on myself and figuring out what I want. And I think I'm hung up on some perfect idea of love. I need to figure what I would want in a real relationship, instead of an idealized one."

"The band, rose petals, and show choirs support that theory. Not to mention the Gap Attack," Kurt teased.

They laughed hard together. "Hey, I was a sophomore when we did that!" Blaine gasped.

"We're not those boys anymore, are we?" Kurt said. "And I'm glad. You took care of me so much that going to New York was terrifying. And then I got there and things started off pretty well, and I took you for granted. I'm really sorry about doing that, Blaine."

"I'm just happy you are talking to me after what I did in response." Blaine said with regret.

"In a weird way, it was good for me."

"How do you mean?"

"Well you might assume perfection, but I think I may have just expected it from you. So when you cheated, you rocked my world, showing me you weren't perfect. But in the long run that's probably a good thing. I need to…"

"Have some regard for human frailty." Blaine finished for him.

"Yeah. And the whole thing spun me out on my own, which meant I had to put myself out there even more. And that was very good. It's just that when I'm with you I feel so safe. But I've learned this year that happy isn't necessarily about feeling safe."

"Do you know what Jesse asked me?"

"What?"

"How do we know we are soulmates if we've never dated anyone else?"

Kurt laughed, "He may have a point."

Blaine asked, "But aren't you supposed to just 'know'? So it wouldn't matter if you've never dated anyone else?"

Kurt said, "Well you're 18, I'm 19 – we should have a look around and double check."

"You know what your dad said to me?" Blaine said.

"What?"

"'When two people love each other, like you two do? Everything works out.'"

"He said the exact same thing to me."

Blaine grimaced…"I don't know Kurt…it really doesn't seem right… Are we really going to not to do this? I never felt so sure of wanting something as I have about getting you back this year."

They sat quietly for a minute

Kurt's blue eyes glistened with tears. "A wise man once said, 'You know what we're gonna do? Surrender. I know how hard that is for you because of how hard you hold on to stuff … But we're just gonna sit here and we're just gonna let go and let the universe do its thing and if we're meant to be together, then we're gonna be together.'"

"Surrender." Blaine confirmed, a tear rolling down his face. "And we'll be best friends no matter what."

They hugged, tears rolling down their cheeks, and walked back to the house.

At the door, Blaine looked at Kurt one more time and said, "Okay, last time I'm going to ask…we're sure we want to do this?"

"Blaine, you're in a blood stained white robe. It's like we're in a Greek tragedy – and that's as obvious of a sign as we're going to get. We gotta do this."

Blaine laughed, nodding He gave Kurt's hand a squeeze. "You mean we gotta _not _do this."


	9. Chapter 9

Kurt and Blaine walked back in the house quickly and slipped into the south parlor without being noticed. Blaine pulled a black polo and his red pants out of his honeymoon luggage and got dressed. Kurt was looking in the full length mirror Tina had brought into the room. "It's a shame this tuxedo will go to waste."

"Yeah," Blaine said, taking a deep breath.

A quick knock at the door sounded and Wes's head came through the door. "Blaine, may we come in?"

Nick came from behind Wes and pushed the door wide open to come all the way into the room, looking excited. "Wes and I have an awesome idea to change up the chord…" He stopped, looking at Blaine's clothes and the look on Kurt's face.

"Hi guys," Blaine said calmly. "Yes, the wedding is off."

Wes kept his composure while Nick gaped a bit. Wes asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, or we're going to be," Blaine looked at Kurt with empathy. "We just want to make the announcement and…get out of here?" He looked again at Kurt, who nodded.

"May we help you somehow? Do you want us to drive you anywhere?" Wes's calm, smooth voice was like a soothing tonic to Blaine.

"I don't even know where…" Blaine's brow furrowed.

Wes said "Why don't you go over to Sebastian's house once you make the announcement. There is no wedding hoopla there."

"Sebastian's out, you'll have the place all to yourself," Nick said, with a meaningful look to Blaine.

Wes continued. "After you regroup a bit, you can decide what you want to do."

"Ok," Blaine said gratefully. "You Warblers really are like my brothers." Then he paused, taking a deep breath. "And can you send our parents in here? But you have to not tell the Warblers – or ANYONE else out there that the wedding is off. Please give us a little time to tell our parents first, and then let us make the announcement, or our parents can make it if they want to."

"Of course," Wes said. "We'll go get your parents."

Wes and Nick stepped out the door and looked at each other in amazement. Nick pulled out his phone. "What are you doing?" Wes asked, his voice wary.

"Nothing." Nick was busy texting. "He said I couldn't tell anyone _**out here**_."

* * *

A few minutes later, Burt, Carole, Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Anderson came in. The moment they came in and he saw Kurt's face, Burt said, "It's off."

Blaine and Kurt nodded.

Carole said immediately, "Are you guys okay?"

"Oh my goodness, what happened?" Mrs. Anderson asked.

Mr. Anderson's brow was furrowed, but he said nothing.

"We're so sorry, but we decided that we're not ready to be married, and we need some time apart. We are really sorry we didn't figure this out earlier, with all the money you've spent, and…" Blaine looked sorrowful and Kurt nodded apology as well.

"Well, I imagine none of us want you to get married unless you're totally sure." Burt said, looking at the Andersons. Mrs. Anderson nodded her head slowly, still in shock. Mr. Anderson gave a very slight nod and crossed his arms, processing the situation.

"Come here," Burt said, and Kurt came in for a hug. Carole patted his back.

Blaine watched them with soft eyes. Burt saw him and said over Kurt's shoulder, "Hey kid – you did good."

Mrs. Anderson reached out to Blaine, who hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, mom."

"It's okay," she soothed.

Mr. Anderson stood awkwardly apart. "I'll go tell your brother," he said, leaving the room.

Blaine worriedly watched him walk out. "Do you think he's mad at me?" Blaine asked his mother.

"No darling, of course not. He's just a little thrown. I am too, to be honest. I thought this is what you wanted?"

"I thought it was, but I realized this morning that it was just a really amazing idea in theory. And that I want to be on my own again for awhile, to just focus on me and my future."

"That sounds very sensible," she said, squeezing his hand.

Cooper walked in. It was clear any reaction he had to the news had been tamped down by the presence of his father, who came in with him.

"Hey Squirt," Cooper said, not waiting for a response before enveloping his brother in a hug. Blaine hugged hard back, head on Cooper's shoulder. "So can I use your tickets for the honeymoon?"

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson gave Cooper warning looks.

"I'm kidding! Kidding!" he shrugged. "Just a little levity to cheer up Blaine here! Just trying to help!"

Mrs. Anderson said, "You can help by…Blaine dear, what can we help you with?"

"Um…you could help me move my luggage over to Sebastian's house."

Cooper picked up his guitar; Mrs. Anderson, his satchel; Mr. Anderson, the tuxedo. They walked over to gather the rest of his luggage that was sitting in a corner.

The Hummels turned to leave. Carole said to Kurt, "We'll start gathering your things upstairs, honey. When you come up, your dad will make the announcement. Then you can wait up in Sugar's bedroom until the crowd's gone."

Burt looked at Blaine, who was looking pained. "It's gonna be okay. You did just fine. And don't forget that we'll expect you for football whenever you've got a free Sunday or Monday night."

Blaine nodded tearfully, already missing them. Burt, then Carole hugged him. Burt said to Kurt as they left, "You come up when you're ready."

The Andersons were staying tactfully in the corner with Blaine's luggage.

Blaine glanced at them and then said to Kurt, "Well I guess this is goodbye…for now."

"For now," Kurt said, looking in Blaine's eyes.

Blaine said steadily, "We're doing the right thing."

"Yes, we're doing the right thing." Kurt answered bravely.

Blaine kissed him on the cheek tenderly. "I'll call you. I…I love you."

Both boys' eyes were wet. "I love you. And I'll call you," Kurt said, squeezing his hand and turning the doorknob.

Kurt slipped out the door, and Blaine closed it behind him and leaned on it.

The Andersons kept their backs turned, giving Blaine a moment. Finally, Mrs. Anderson said, "Dear, are you ready to head over to the Smythes? Let's start carrying all this to the car so your father can come back and help Burt make the announcement?"

They all picked up a bag and started for the door. Mrs. Anderson and Cooper stepped out of the door first. Mr. Anderson stayed back and turned to Blaine, who was coming up behind him with the last of the bags. "Blaine, I want to talk to you."

Blaine felt himself fill with dread. He put down the duffel bag he was carrying. "Ok."

Mr. Anderson sat down on the couch and pointed at the seat beside him. "Sit down."

Blaine went over to the couch stiffly. He turned to face his father, mustering up courage. "I'm sorry Dad, I know you have a lot of work colleagues out there and our whole extended family and some of your old college buddies. This has got to be embarrassing…"

"Blaine."

"I wish I had realized everything sooner, but..."

"Blaine, stop."

Blaine silenced himself.

"Your mother tells me that you don't always know what I am thinking about you, so I wanted to speak to you. I would assume you know this, but perhaps that is not the case. I think that you did a good thing."

"You do?" Blaine was taken aback.

"Obviously the timing could have been better, but yes, you did a good thing cancelling the wedding. And I don't say this because of Kurt – I know you think I don't like him. I say this because I have watched a great number of my friends go through divorce and that has far more negative consequences."

"Thank you Dad, for being so understanding." Blaine said earnestly, looking up at his father. His father's gaze was intense. Blaine swallowed and looked down.

His father continued. "I know it was difficult, on the day of the wedding, to make this decision."

"I hope it was the right decision." Blaine said with some melancholy, staring at his shoes, "I hope Kurt and I find each other again when we're both ready, or that I can find anyone as amazing as him who will want me."

They sat in silence for a few awkward moments.

"Blaine..."

"Yes?" answered Blaine, who was still looking at shoes.

"Blaine, look at me."

Blaine looked up into his father's serious brown eyes.

"Any man would be very fortunate to have you."

Blaine looked at him in shock. He impulsively turned to hug his father tightly. "Thanks, Dad," he said in a choked voice.

Richard Anderson wasn't much of a hugger, but after a moment he relaxed a bit. He ran a hand fondly over his younger son's curly hair. "You are so much like your mother."

* * *

The Motta entry hall was buzzing with reaction to Burt and Richard's announcement. Jeff handed David a $20 bill, Trent handed Thad a $50, and so on down the line. "I should know better than to bet against you," grumbled Meatbox to Nick. Wes shook his head disapprovingly.

Kitty was collecting her own winnings from a sobered Ryder. "You guys are so cute with your 'Blaine and Kurt 4eva.' Blaine was trying too hard." Jake was handing Marley a tissue.

Rachel and Mercedes were headed up the stairs with Santana, to find Kurt. "Where did you go?" Mercedes asked Santana.

"I just had to see about something," Santana replied cryptically. "I got back in time for the wedding, didn't I? Well, the almost-wedding. Seriously, it's like a New Directions marital-voodoo-curse."

Tina and Sam came over to Cooper, who was standing with Wes and the rest of Warblers. "Do you know where Blaine is?"

"He's at Sebastian's."

"Sebastian's not there," Nick added, seeing the question mark on Sam's face.

Tina turned away immediately towards the door.

"He doesn't want to be disturbed. " Cooper's voice stopped her in her tracks. "He also doesn't want to go home yet – he says he doesn't want to 'go back to normal' quite yet. He's still a little shell shocked. So the guys and I," he gestured at Wes and the Warblers. "Are going to keep an eye on him and have a guys weekend with him…you know, take some grub down to the lake and swim and stuff. "

Nick said to Sam, "I'm sure he'd want you there, too."

Sam nodded. "I bet he'd like Mike to come along, too. I'll get him." Before turning away, he said to Tina, "As soon as Blaine's ready to talk about everything, I will totally call you."

Tina looked slightly injured, but nodded and said, "Hug him for me, okay?"

* * *

Mrs. Anderson sat next to Blaine and his guitar on Sebastian's bed. "Are you sure you don't want us to stay? I could…"

"Thanks, mom." Blaine said firmly, but with affection. He squeezed her hand. "I just want to not think for awhile, just play guitar and go throw Frisbee by the lake and just unwind from all this. I promise I'll be fine."

"Ok," she said. "I'll stay with you at least until Cooper and your father get back from dealing with all those guests."

"Mom, go help them. I'm really okay here on my own," Blaine said. "You know dad's not going to be very good with all the extended family."

Mrs. Anderson looked torn.

"Really, mom. I'm okay. In fact, I will enjoy having a moment to myself before Cooper and the gang of Warblers get back here."

"Well…okay." She kissed his cheek tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you too, mom. I'll call you."

She looked behind her as she crossed the room and left through the open door.

Blaine picked up his guitar and played a few chords, but without a violin for the song he wanted to play, the guitar wasn't enough on its own. He got up and opened the door to the adjoining music room, peeking in furtively and feeling like an intruder.

He sat down at the piano, sliding his fingertips across the glossy wood keyboard lid. It was really a beautiful old instrument. He opened the lid and played a few notes – it was perfectly tuned. Looking up, he ran a finger across the meticulously dusted carvings on the cabinet, admiring the craftsmanship. "Kurt would love this," he thought. His heart twisted as he began to play:

The Wood Song

(listen at youtubeDOTcom/watch?v=djvIWPJ_zXc)

_The thin horizon of a plan is almost clear  
My friends and I have had a tough time  
Bruising our brains hard up against change  
All the old dogs and the magician_

_Now I see we're in the boat in two-by-two's  
Only the heart that we have for a tool we could use  
And the very close quarters are hard to get used to  
Love weighs the hull down with its weight_

_But the wood is tired, and the wood is old  
And we'll make it fine, if the weather holds  
But if the weather holds, we'll have missed the point  
That's where I need to go_

_No way construction of this tricky plan  
Was built by other than a greater hand  
With a love that passes all our understanding  
Watching closely over the journey_

_Yeah, but what it takes to cross the great divide  
Seems more than all the courage I can muster up inside  
But we got to have some answers when we reach the other side  
The prize is always worth the rocky ride_

_But the wood is tired, and the wood is old  
And we'll make it fine, if the weather holds  
But if the weather holds, we'll have missed the point  
That's where I need to go_

_Sometimes I ask to sneak a closer look  
Skip to the final chapter of the book  
And then maybe steer us clear from some of the pain it took  
To get us where we are this far, this far_

_But the question drowns in its futility  
Even I have got to laugh at me  
No one gets to miss the storm of what will be  
Just holding on for the ride_

_But the wood is tired, and the wood is old  
And we'll make it fine, if the weather holds  
But if the weather holds, we'll have missed the point  
That's where I need to go_

"Hey there." Sebastian was leaning his tall frame in the doorway.

Blaine jumped a little. "Sebastian! I didn't…" He looked up to see that Sebastian's green eyes were appraising him, but that they were also looking unusually kind. Blaine exhaled, a melancholy smile forming on his lips. "Hi."

"Hi," Sebastian's lips curved into a sympathetic smile back at him.

"Is everyone else back, too?" asked Blaine.

"No, I didn't see anyone when I was pulling up. I wasn't at the wedding, remember."

"Right." Blaine looked guilty. "Neither was I," he joked weakly.

"I heard," Sebastian said, looking serious.

Blaine said nervously, "I hope you don't mind that I played your piano. I've been hiding out here since…" He couldn't find the words yet.

Sebastian interrupted gently. "You can hide out here as long as you want, Killer. Just know that Jeff woke all of us this morning sleepwalking outside and singing The Lion Sleeps Tonight right under this window." His words were light, but his eyes were empathetic. "I pitched a book at him through the window to wake him up."

Blaine laughed picturing the scene, his first real laugh since Sam's John Lennon impression. But the emotional outlet brought tears to his eyes, and they did not go unnoticed.

Sebastian's heart wrenched. "I'll bolt his door tonight," he said, touching Blaine's shoulder lightly before sitting down on the piano bench with him.

The heat of Sebastian's body next to him was comforting, but Blaine's heart sped up slightly with concern. He said with a pained look on his face, "Seb…right now I can't…"

"I know," Seb said reassuringly, "I know."

"'Cause if you don't want to talk for awhile…" Blaine was still worried.

Sebastian stopped him, raising his eyebrows and looking stern. "B, what did I say when I brought you that sheet music?"

Blaine looked emotionally wrecked. "That you never knew you could care…"

Sebastian cut him off with a brisk wave of the hand and a smirk. "Not that part…"

Blaine gulped, eyes luminous. "That you never want to stop taking care of me."

Noises downstairs told them the Warblers had returned. "Right," Sebastian said, getting up from the piano bench and putting his hands on Blaine's shoulders. "But don't go spreading that around, I have a reputation for being an asshole that I should protect."

Blaine looked up to give him a grateful smile.

"I asked Teresa to go pick up that pie you said you love so much, so let's get downstairs before that pack of idiots gets at it."

Blaine got up to follow him. "You're the best, Seb."

Sebastian turned back and winked. "I know."

* * *

Blaine sat under a tree with his guitar, watching Mike and various Warblers swimming and diving into the sparkling lake; Thad and Jeff throwing a Frisbee; Nick and David paddling around in a rented kayak; and Cooper and Sam skipping stones.

Sebastian sat nearly shoulder-to shoulder next to him reading his Kindle and eating an apple, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He had not only sent out for pie, but all of Blaine's favorite foods, laid out around them in vast quantities on a beautiful picnic blanket to feed the entire group - a gourmet picnic dinner. Sebastian did not order for beer or wine, though. "We need to give your liver a break, Killer." But the rest of the spread was very comforting.

As the afternoon and early evening unfolded, Blaine tried to enjoy the time with everyone, especially swimming in the cold water and throwing the Frisbee; he alternated between activity and quiet moments under the tree. There were even short periods of time under the late summer sunshine where he was able to forget everything for a little bit. Most of the time though, his heartbreak cast a shadow on the idyllic scene.

In spite of all this, he concluded that he did the right thing in spending the weekend with this band of brothers. Their collective presence was comforting, even if individually they ranged widely.

Trent was overbearingly anxious to talk, at first asking him how he was doing at great frequency, and if he could do anything for him even more often. Sebastian had pulled him behind a tree at one point and Trent emerged abashed and quieter.

Nick was similarly too eager to comfort, but more through his actions. He insisted on giving Blaine the first turn in the kayak, filled a plate for him at dinner, and kept asking him what music he wanted to hear over the IPod speakers they had brought. Blaine felt more affection for Nick than most of the Warblers, but he was unnerving to be around just now.

David, Jeff, Meatbox and Thad felt so awkward that they avoided speaking to him all, resigning themselves to giving him sympathetic smiles from a distance. Cooper looped his arm around his brother whenever he was near, but had no idea how to act or what to say. When he did speak, his words tended to treat the matter too lightly, even as his eyes showed signs of overwhelm. Mike and Sam's laid back energy was comforting, but they were also quieter than usual, a bit dumbfounded at the situation.

Wes provided many kindly smiles and treated him with great care, but it felt like he was handling him as though Blaine was made of glass. His looks were like a concerned older brother or even mother. He didn't say a lot, which wasn't unusual since he had always been slightly reserved, but their dynamic felt a bit stilted.

Blaine should not have been surprised that Sebastian would be the easiest one to be around. He treated Blaine like a normal person, albeit with a tad less snark than usual. His manner was subtly comforting without being overbearing, all relaxed smiles and gentle, playful banter. He was a balm to Blaine's aching and disappointed heart. He was a just a little quieter than usual, but Blaine knew he would listen when the time came for listening.

Blaine looked over at Sebastian with these thoughts. He studied his handsome profile for a moment, stopping to appreciate not only the outward beauty, but the kind heart inside his friend. There really was more to Sebastian Smythe than meets the eye.

"Seb, thank you."

Sebastian said without looking up from his Kindle," I should thank you, that pie really is something."

"No, I mean thank you for…" Blaine put down his guitar and searched for words. "For calling me out on all my stuff before the wedding."

Sebastian sat straighter, put down his Kindle and looked out at the lake. "I wish I had done it in a more "new leaf" kind of way."

"That's okay. And you did when you brought the sheet music, I just didn't want to hear you. " Blaine said, leaning back a bit to study his profile again. "I'm just glad you said something." He swatted at him playfully. "Even though I hate it when you're right."

"I hate it too," Sebastian looked at him with an arrogant tilt of his nose, "It's such a burden to be so gifted with my wisdom and intellect."

Blaine smacked him. After a few moments, he sighed. "I know this is the right thing to do – it just feels so surreal, and I already miss him."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, both lost in thought.

"You are going to be better for this, you know." Sebastian said.

"I know," Blaine said without conviction.

"But right now, it sucks," said Sebastian in his straightforward way.

"Yeah," Blaine said with a sigh.

The Warblers had been out of the lake and sunning themselves on beach towels along the shore. Nick came over and raised questioning eyebrows to Sebastian.

Sebastian stood up and gave him a slight nod. "This is actually good timing," he said. Nick whistled and the group gathered near the tree.

Blaine knew what was coming and smiled fondly at them as the sang this song (youtubeDOTcom/watch?v=cumLKDiMYVY]

_[Meatbox]_

_Ba da doo doo _

_Ba da doo doo _

_Ba da doo doo _

_Ba da doo doo _

_Ba da doo doo _

_Ba da doo doo _

_Ba da doo doo _

_Ba da doo doo _

_[Sebastian]  
__When the night has come and the land is dark__  
__And the moon is the only light we'll see,__  
_

_[Sam and Mike]_

_No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid__  
__Just as long as you stand, stand by me.__  
_

_[Cooper with the rest on backing vocals]  
__If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall__  
__Or the mountain should crumble to the sea,__  
_

_[Wes with David and Trent]_

_I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear__  
__Just as long as you stand, stand by me._

_[Nick with Jeff and Thad]  
__So darling, darling__  
__Stand by me, oh stand by me__  
__Oh, won't you stand, stand by me.__  
_

_[Jeff with Thad and Trent]_

_Ooohh _

_Stand by me _

_Stand by me_

_[Sebastian, coaxing Blaine to stand up and sing with the group]  
__When the night has come and the land is dark__  
__And the moon is the only light we'll see,__  
_

_[Blaine with the rest on backing vocals]_

_No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid__  
__Just as long as you stand by me.__So darling, darling__  
__Stand by me, well stand by me__  
__Oh, won't you stand by me,__  
__When you are totally you just stand by me.__  
__Oh, by me...yeah...__  
__Oh, Won't you stand, stand by me.__Stand by me..._

* * *

LADY: You don't have to text back, just want you to know I'm thinking of you, Blainey Days. I love you.

BLAINE: Love you too, Tay Tay. I got your snack tub of goodies – all my favorites! You are the best.

LADY: Good. Don't let Sam and Mike eat any of it.

BLAINE: Too late, Sam ate half the cheese popcorn and Mike had a Symphony bar.

LADY: Oh well, I'll send more tomorrow.

BLAINE: No need. I'm gonna be okay, Lady.

LADY: I know, I just want to fatten you up a little, you lost too much weight with all this wedding stress!

BLAINE: Well if I get fat, you have to join me.

LADY: Deal. All-you-can-eat-meatball dinner at Breadstix when you get back to Lima.

BLAINE: Deal. Well, the guys are about to turn on the movie. Love you. Thanks for everything you did for the wedding. I'm gonna need another one of those hot towel thingies.

LADY: I'll send my back-up spa kit over tomorrow. Good night B, call me any time of night, whatever. I'm always here.

BLAINE: I know. Love you. Bye.

LADY: 3 Love you, too. Bye.

The Smythes' well-equipped multimedia room projected Sebastian's favorite James Dean film on a large projector screen that took up most of one wall. Even though the staff had moved additional seating in, everyone had to squeeze to fit on the sofas. Meatbox, Trent and David lounged on the rug with pillows, rather than fight for room on the sofas.

Sebastian wriggled out of the space on the leather sofa where he had been wedged between Blaine and Thad to get a drink from the small refrigerator on the side of the large room. Nick was standing there with Cooper talking quietly until Sebastian neared them, when they abruptly ended their conversation.

"What." It was more demand than a question.

"Nothing!" Nick said, looking sly.

"Out with it." Sebastian ordered again.

Cooper said, "We were just saying that as sad it is to see Blaine this way, I think the consensus is that you did a good thing in stopping the wedding."

Sebastian took a breath and regarded them with skepticism. He gestured towards Blaine. "Yeah, but LOOK at him."

They all looked over at Blaine, who was looking particularly small and rumpled in his pajamas and ungelled hair, legs crossed under him, clinging to the snack tub. He was watching the movie, but from time to time his eyes would glance away and his face would flicker with a shadow of the pain and shock from the events of the day.

After a minute Cooper insisted, "He'll be fine. Andersons are anything if not tough. Come on," he clapped Sebastian on the back, "Celebrate a LITTLE. You stopped the wedding. It needed to be done."

Nick egged him on, "Yeah come on, this merits at least a smile." He poked Sebastian in the ribs.

"Don't touch me, you perv," Sebastian said, rolling his eyes. "Fine, I am glad that he didn't join the teen marriage ranks. But again, LOOK at him. He's so _wretched_."

Sebastian started to head back to his seat.

"Well when he comes out of it, you'll be there to sweep him off of his feet." Cooper called after him.

Sebastian shook his head – he couldn't think about any of that now, with Blaine looking like _that. _

It was an effort for Sebastian to sit back down again, as Thad and Blaine had migrated towards his seat while he was away. He took a long drink from his soda and put it down between his feet. With so little room on the sofa, he had to put his long arms along the top of the large sofa, which was easy to do since neither Thad's nor Blaine's head reached that height. Both smaller guys were nestling into his sides and he sighed, feeling like a rather crushed human teddy bear and thinking that the Warblers had officially bonded _too_ closely.

As he tried to relax into his position, Sebastian looked down at Blaine, who was watching the movie with sleepy eyes. In about 5 minutes, he had fallen asleep against Sebastian's side, exhausted from the events of the day. Sebastian studied his eyelashes, the planes of his face, and thought about everything else that was Blaine. The memories flickered in his mind like the old movie on the screen:

"_And now she's looking for a downtown man, that's what I am…"_

"_Are you a freshman?"_

"_I can't believe you asked for a shot of Courvoisier in your coffee."_

"_Wow, you're just so…you… you know you're out there."_

"_Eat me, drink me, win me, lose me_  
_Either way you have to choose me"_

_"You know they closed that bar."  
"What? That sweet old place? That's criminal."_

_"Oh it was a wonderful gift, Seb. Especially the Rachel Fuller music. But I haven't been very wonderful to you, have I?"_

"_Seb, thank you."_

He bent his head and gave Blaine the lightest of kisses on the top of his fluffy hair. Then he remembered where he was. He looked around quickly to those seated around him and was relieved to see everyone intent on the movie. Then he quickly turned to the screen as well.

After a few more seconds however, he had the distinct feeling he was being watched. Shaking his head, he knew exactly which direction to turn. Cooper was still standing on the far side of the room near the mini-bar, winking at him and puckering his lips in the darkened room. Sebastian sighed and rolled his eyes.

* * *

When the movie ended, the Warblers stood up and stretched. Blaine stayed asleep. If they had been alone Sebastian would have just picked him up and carried him upstairs, but he knew he would never hear the end of it from Nick and Cooper. He nudged Blaine. "Killer, wake up. Let's get you up into bed." Sebastian pulled him up slowly, hooking his arm around Blaine's shoulder to support him.

Blaine stood up shakily and staggered upstairs, rubbing his eyes along the way. It was a long walk up the giant staircase to Sebastian's bedroom. Sebastian came up with a flimsy excuse to get Blaine to sleep in the most expensive mattress in the house. "In case you want to compose some beautiful song in the middle of the night. When you close that adjoining door, that room is soundproofed." By the time he reached the room, Blaine was a bit more awake, though still completely exhausted. He collapsed on the bed while Sebastian pulled some pajamas for himself out of the bureau.

Sebastian patted him on the shoulder. "Good night, B."

"Good night, Seb. Thanks for everything."

"No problem," Sebastian replied, giving him a small smile before closing the door behind him.

Sebastian was halfway to the guest bedroom before he remembered he hadn't gotten a book to read before bed. He knocked and opened the door quietly, saying "Sorry B, I forgot to grab something to…"

Blaine was crying in heartbreaking sobs facedown on a pillow in bed.

Sebastian quickly closed the door behind him and crossed the large room. "Blaine, Blaine…"

Blained turned over to see who it was, his face crumpled in tears. "Seb, oh Seb I…"

"You don't have to say anything," Sebastian sat down next to him and rubbed his back.

Blaine cried for what felt like an eternity to Sebastian.

But finally Blaine fell asleep, clutching Sebastian's hand.

_I will hold you, I will catch you_  
_When you feel like you're falling  
When you feel like you're falling  
I'll be near you, I will hear you  
When you are calling  
When you are calling_

Sebastian kissed Blaine on the cheek and slipped out of the room, wiping his own eyes.

* * *

For reasons unbeknownst to him, Sebastian awoke at 5:30AM.

He lay there for a few minutes, disbelievingly reviewing the events of the last two days. He could only imagine how overwhelmed Blaine must be.

He checked his watch for the time again. He had an idea. He crept out of bed and down the hall, hoping that Blaine was awake to come along.

He quietly opened Blaine's door, expecting to find him passed out in the same position he left him in the night before. To his surprise, Blaine was lying in bed staring at the ceiling.

"Hey," said Blaine, glanced at him and then looked back up at the ceiling.

"Hey," Sebastian replied, coming in the room and sitting on the bed. "I'm going fishing at the lake, come with me."

Blaine grunted.

Sebastian ruffled his curly hair a bit. "One foot in front of the other, Killer. Come on…sunrise on the lake…still waters…serenity…or we can sing annoying acapella and scare the fish."

Blaine grunted again.

"We can take leftover pie and have it for breakfast."

Blaine sat up slowly. "Ok, ok." He rubbed his eyes and gave Sebastian's arm an affectionate squeeze. "Ok ok ok."

They got dressed, grabbed supplies and food, and loaded up Sebastian's car in the driveway.

Nick and Wes jogged up to the car, running clothes matted with sweat, shoes muddied.

"We're headed to the lake for a little fishing," Sebastian said, tossing the cooler inside the trunk. Blaine was climbing into the passenger seat.

"So you're going to runaway?! You'll be on the road, like Jack Kerouac?" Nick said in a loud whisper, winking.

Blaine ducked in the car completely with an embarrassed half smile.

Sebastian said under his breath, "You forgot what I said about hurting you - IN WAYS…YOU NEVER…KNEW…EXISTED." He slammed the trunk shut. "We'll be back in time for lunch. Order some pizza from Rosalie's for everyone," he commanded.

Nick and Wes watched Sebastian and Blaine drive down the tree-lined road. "End of Story," Wes said with a small smile, "At least for now."

**_The end_**

* * *

**_Author's note:  
_**

_Okay, we've reached the end of this road! Sorry to the hard core Seblainers who wished I had included some good old-fashioned sex on that antique piano or at least Sebastian getting into bed with Blaine and cuddling all night. Sorry but my Blainers is too delicate still and my Sebastian is wise enough to not risk weirding him out. My Seb is a gentleman when it comes to his beautiful love of a man. But don't worry, I'm planning a sequel!_

_Thanks to all you readers who hung in there with us through this story. By us I mean my 4 awesome beta readers, Thomas, Dori, Rosalie and Tereza – see if you find their cameo appearances in the story._

_And I really, really appreciate the reviews as well – they were very motivating. I hope you all will review one more time now that the story is over as well. Interested in your feedback and ideas for the sequel! Seb is off to Stanford and after a gap year with Sam, Blaine is off to UCLA._

_I recognize that there was an awful lot of fluff in the beginning but hopefully some of you liked it, and the rest of you enjoyed at least the meat of the story. You might be able to tell that I have a lot of love for Klaine, but hopefully the fact that Seblaine is my OTP shone through as well. _

_Again, I'm looking forward to writing a sequel (likely set in college and some after they graduate) to give you Seblainers a proper kiss – and maybe some heat if I work up the nerve. I've never written anything remotely smutty, but I can't write a SECOND Sebastian Smythe story without some sexiness to him. Until then, hope to chat with you via reviews and PM, and hope you keep your love for these boys close to your hearts…_


End file.
